The Second Serve // Fighting Fire With Ire

Lots of people were sharing their memories of Donald Sutherland this weekend. There’s one that might have escaped your notice, given that it appeared on Twitter in Croatian. But we’ve gone to the trouble of translating it for you, so you don’t miss out.

Sutherland was working on a film in Opatija back in 2015 and was kind enough to take a photo with the staff of the local hotel he was staying at. They were looking forward to using it as a neat bit of celebrity promo. Unfortunately the hotel’s brand director was unable to share the shot because Sutherland had just come back from a hike and was posing in a tracksuit. With a particularly notable outline of his “ogromne debele kurcine” (per Google translate: “huge fat cock”).

So some poor member of the marketing department had to spend their Friday afternoon airbrushing it out.

Further to last week’s story about Vanessa Feltz having to spell her surname to gain access to a party: it wouldn’t be the first time Vanessa has misjudged the vibe at an event.

She was invited to attend a screening for one of the Daniel Craig Bond films some years back and clearly misunderstood the nature of the invitation. Vanessa showed up to the Sony offices dressed to the nines like she was attending a premiere or gala.

Whereas everyone else was dressed for what it was: a post-work screening with free sandwiches.

This isn’t the first time the Tories have tried to use the betting markets to their advantage in an election. In fact, betting on themselves has long been one of their secret weapons.

During the 2019 Tory leadership contest, Andrea Leadsom’s odds were surprisingly short. Not because of any merits she necessarily possessed as a candidate, but because supporters in Leadsom’s camp were steadily backing her to win on Betfair’s exchange market – in order to manipulate her price.

This tactic has been a way for the less competent candidates to generate themselves some media coverage. If colleagues are being slow to endorse, then a well-placed bet or two can usually guarantee you some headlines. As the Tories are currently finding…

Even if you think you’ve got surefire insider information, using it on the betting markets can still have you coming a cropper. Just ask Jamie Redknapp.

Back in 2008, while the boss at Portsmouth, Harry Redknapp was offered the Newcastle job. He was pretty excited about it and told his son Jamie that he was going to accept it. Jamie told some of his footballer mates and they all lumped on it at the bookies.

However, when Harry talked the plan through with his wife, Sandra, she wasn’t so sure it was a good idea. So he turned the job down the very next morning. Only he hadn’t remembered to tell Jamie, or anyone else, so there were a fair few footballers who were out of pocket with the bookies when the news was announced.

From PB798 (11/08/16):
“Bookies can always tell when which former premier league star goes on holiday with his family because of the spike in activity in his account? The longer the week drags on, the bigger and more frequent his bets get.”

In strict fairness to Michael Owen, this was from 2016 so there’s every chance he’s changed his tune and spends good quality time with his family on holiday.

Tory donor John Cauldwell grabbed a lot of headlines with his announcement that he’s rowing in behind Labour at this election. His endorsement probably isn’t going to cut much ice with the folk in his constituency though, as they all have some story or other to relate about him.

Our favourite was one about the local firefighters who were once called out to Cauldwell’s house at 3am. The force – including volunteers – managed to put the fire out, after evacuating the building as a precaution.

Clearly Cauldwell thought the evacuation was the wrong call as instead of thanking the firefighters, he had a go at them for waking his guests up.

Last week saw quizzes on the themes of England v Denmark, France v The Netherlands, Monkeys and Harps.

This week, with Glastonbury coming up, we’ve got some quizzes based around this year’s line-up. All you have to do is listen to the ten songs in each two-and-a-bit minute mix, then correctly identify the songs’ titles and artists (a point each; twenty points across the ten songs).

Monday’s Theme: Pyramid Stage ’24

[Play it here]

Sonic The Hedgehog slow jams
[Listen on YouTube]

Inside the rubble of Diddy’s empire
[Read on Forbes]

We all speak phone now
[Read on the Atlantic]

Street photography from Tokyo
[See on Huck]