Retired Civil Servant. Chelsea FC fan. Westmeath GAA supporter/past player. Iarmhi TVPodcast. Commentator for Clubber and Iarmhi TV in spare time
Mullingar Westmeath Ireland
Joined August 2011
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Ray Gavin retweeted
JK’s Fanbite of the hard fought 2-0 away win v the Toffees. An end to the 23 match non clean sheet & an impressive performance against a highly motivated Everton. 2 goal Neto excels but midfield & defence looked so much better. @Jonathankydd @chelseafanbite #chelseafc
Ray Gavin retweeted
🚨 Petr Čech: “Roman was forced out. City are being pampered.”
“This is no longer only about a football club. It is about who is protected, and who is not. American owners. Russian owners. Arab owners. Are they treated the same? No.
When Roman was stripped of the club, the line from the FA was that the integrity of the game sits above the interest of any foreign national. That line has changed. This is now interest, and ties.
A supporter of City, dressed up as a fair statement, has arrived from Andy Burnham. That is not his job. Sport has a ministry. Let it work. A political office telling the game how a case should land is not neutral, and it is not small.
The message underneath is obvious. Do not push this club. Do not talk about a sale. We prefer these owners to stay. That is not fair. It is dangerous.
You do not want to lose the partner. Or you want to bend the competition. I do not know which. What I know is that money is now the subject.
A Russian owner was forced to sell and leave, with no FA charge and no Premier League sustainability breach in front of him. City sit on 115. They are being managed, appealed, and spoken for. Burnham backing the ownership is disappointing.
Roman put billions into Chelsea and turned it into a European powerhouse. He was shown the door. City broke the competition. A man convicted, still calling himself innocent because the paperwork was not perfect. That is this case.
The rules that protect every member club should be allowed to run when there is a defaulter. Or some clubs get a privilege. I do not think that is fair.
The delay, the appeals, the political comment — they are all on the table. In my book, City cheated. The outcome will say whether the game still has rules, or only friends.”
Ray Gavin retweeted
Football has been bent for years, Kovacic getting a red card in the FA cup final for being fouled, Leicester wining the FA cup final from a clear hand ball then Chillwell having a clear onside goal disallowed, the Lukaku offside in the final vs Liverpool… the list is endless
Ray Gavin retweeted
Haven't been near this house for some time, and this post is entirely for self-interest: tomorrow, this goes on sale. It's a bit more than a sport story; would appreciate a share, please, there's part of my soul between those pages.
@lukeming
@Vincent_Hogan
@LawlorDamian
Ray Gavin retweeted
🚨🎙️ RIO FERDINAND JUST SAID SOMETHING THAT WILL ANNOY ARSENAL FANS:
“Let’s stop pretending the Champions League is the same without Chelsea.
It isn’t.
You can talk about Arsenal, Liverpool, City, Madrid, Bayern, whoever you want — but when Chelsea aren’t in this competition, you lose a different level of rivalry, pressure and European pedigree.
Look at Arsenal tonight against Napoli. Everyone is waiting to see whether they can finally prove themselves on the biggest European stage.
But imagine Chelsea being there too.
That’s when the competition really starts to feel serious.
Chelsea have their problems, absolutely, but this is a club that has won the Champions League twice. They understand these nights.
So Arsenal can enjoy their campaign, but let’s be honest — European football is missing something without Chelsea.
The Champions League needs Chelsea back.
It simply isn’t the same without them.”
Ray Gavin retweeted
Just when you think that the club has seen the light. Up comes Winstanley, Stewart and Shields to tell everyone, that they haven't changed after all. They're the same useless bastards, they've always been – at Barry, Wales
Ray Gavin retweeted
🚨Statement🚨
We are angered and frustrated, but sadly not surprised that the club have decided to rebrand our Under 21 and Under 19 squads as Cobham Next Gen.
This is another example of a parasitic ownership stripping away the identity of our wonderful and historic football club piece by piece. Following the use of the CFCLDN brand in other marketing ploys, we feel this is another attack on the setup that was in place before Blueco acquired the club in 2022.
Chelsea’s youth academy has produced an array of incredible talent who have represented the name “Chelsea” at both youth and senior level, including club stalwarts such as John Terry and Reece James, as well as dozens of others who have had successful professional careers.
The youth academy that Cobham hosts is renowned for being one of the best in the world and players have often identified with the club’s name throughout their upbringing in football.
Players should be proud to represent that name from the moment they enter the youth setup, and not a soulless brand name cooked up by those who do not respect the club’s heritage.
We strongly urge other supporter groups to send a strong message to the club that this is yet another unacceptable act from the club’s current custodians.
We must continue to fight for what matters to this football club. That does not just entail demanding better standards on the pitch than what we have been witness to for the last four years, but also respecting the foundations of a club that is so important to so many people.
We remain extremely concerned about the direction the club is heading in, particularly based on recent media reports about the ownership structure.
We will continue to monitor the situation and should our concerns escalate, we will not hesitate to once again call for demonstrative action to try and protect our football club.
@ChelseaSTrust
@CSG2005
@pitchowners
Ray Gavin retweeted
The All-Ireland final needs an A game and GAA Digital didn’t disappoint. Well done Niamh, Caitlin, Mark, Ken & Megan.
Ray Gavin retweeted
Radio Kerry Pair Produced Classy Gesture To Mayo Counterparts At Full-Time
Would make your heart sing🔥
balls.ie/gaa/mayo-kerry-radi…
Ray Gavin retweeted
Good job Marco Palestra is all we need to win the league otherwise I’d be worried about the lack of transfer activity…
You guys on holiday or something? @paulwinstanley9
Ray Gavin retweeted
You, @NizaarKinsella, need to wake up and start asking the questions some Chelsea fans actually care about.
Four years into this project and we’re still being fed transfer briefings, negotiation updates, and recruitment spin while the bigger questions go untouched.
Why has Chelsea spent billions only to be left with one of the youngest and least experienced squads in elite football?
Why are proven leaders constantly expendable while unproven prospects are treated as untouchable assets?
Why does every conversation become about the next signing instead of the results of the last 40?
Journalism isn’t supposed to be an extension of the club’s communications department.
Chelsea don’t need more PR.
Chelsea need scrutiny.
Because PR won’t restore standards.
PR won’t explain the revolving door of coaches.
PR won’t explain why proven performers are continually linked with exits while the club doubles down on the same model that created the problems.
The club’s decline won’t be stopped by another recruitment article or another briefing about a transfer target.
It will stop when people start asking whether the strategy itself is working.
Until then, the decay continues while everyone pretends it’s progress. 💙 #CFC
Rayo Vallecano have proven difficult to deal with for Chelsea's desire to sign Pep Chavarria for Xabi Alonso. A look at the dynamics involved here. 👇
bbc.co.uk/sport/football/art…
Ray Gavin retweeted
I would say I had an "interesting" relationship with Uncle Ken during my time forming & running the womens team. Highs & lows and moments when I thought do I need this?
That said, there is no doubt if it hadn't been for his combative streak there would be no Chelsea FC today. His battles with Marler Estates, his setting up of the Chelsea Pitch Owners and with the help of Matthew Harding, the signings in the 90's.
Many things can be said of Ken Bates and have been, but our gratitude to him for saving Chelsea Football Club must never be forgotten.
My thoughts are with Suzzanah, family and friends.
RIP Ken
Ray Gavin retweeted
I cannot believe we have got to the point where a ball lightly touching the tips of someone’s hair is being measured by a Snickometer in order to disallow a goal.
The ball’s trajectory and spin were not affected at all.
The offside law was created to stop goal-hanging - it was never intended to be an exact science.
It was never created so that one day artificial intelligence could measure toenails offside and use a snicko to check if someone’s touched a ball.
It was created to stop strikers from man-marking goalkeepers all game.
VAR was meant to be reserved for clear and obvious decisions.
We used to understand that football is better and more entertaining when goals are scored.
That meant that for offsides: in case of doubt, the benefit was given to the attacker while in-line was always onside.
Now we’re using 3D generated AI technology to check toes to the millimetre and extreme microphones to measure minuscule decibels with the aim of disallowing goals and ruining football as a spectacle.
Do they ever ask if we want these changes, do they market test any of it?
What an extra time awaited us for the #Portugal v #Croatia game, unfortunately we will never get to see it thanks to the madness that VAR has descended into.
Ray Gavin retweeted
Father’s Day Cbd offer from @supreme_cbd buy any Cbd oil including the most popular 6000mg and receive the 4800mg gummies free of charge and receive 40 percent off with code Tiss40. Great for sleep, joint pain, anxiety. supremecbd.uk/products/cbd-o… #supremecbd #ad
Ray Gavin retweeted
It is with the heaviest of hearts that Crosshaven AFC announce the passing of our dear friend and former manager, Bobby Tambling — a true Chelsea legend and an even more wonderful human being.
Bobby came to Cork in the 1970s after his time at Crystal Palace, and he fell deeply in love with the place. But it was Crosshaven that truly captured his heart. In the 1980s he settled here and made it his home. He became Cork City’s very first manager before taking the reins of our senior team in 1985, guiding us with pride and passion to our one and only appearance in the FAI Senior Cup the following year. His sons Gary and Glenn featured locally for a while as did his partner Val’s son Jamie now of course Senior Team assistant coach.
For the next thirty years, on and off, Bobby was never far from our club with Val by his side. Even when his health was failing, he still wanted to be on the sidelines — coaching, encouraging, and sharing his endless love for the game. His passion for football was absolutely infectious. Whether he was talking tactics, working on set pieces, or telling stories from his playing days (sometimes for the tenth time), you couldn’t help but hang on every word. You didn’t mind hearing the same tale again, because it was Bobby telling it. His final game managing Crosshaven was a fitting one as some of the greatest local players he ever coached took on a Republic of Ireland Masters team in 2015 that included Packie Bonner, Ronnie Whelan & Ray Houghton in Camden.
Crosshaven players adored him. They respected him, responded to him, and would have run through brick walls for him. From time to time, old friends from his Chelsea days would visit — Barry Bridges, Chopper Harris, Paddy Mulligan and others — reminding us all of the giant he was in the game.
In London, Bobby was a superstar. 202 goals for his beloved Chelsea — a record that stood for decades until Frank Lampard came along. He loved returning to the Bridge, where he was worshipped. Seeing his “Tambling 202” banner proudly displayed and having a suite named in his honour always filled him with quiet pride. He cherished hearing the fans sing his name one more time and feeling the electric buzz of match day, which brought back so many beautiful memories of victories, friendships, and goals.
But no matter how much he loved Chelsea, Crosshaven was always home with his beloved Val. Walking the dogs, enjoying dinners with family and friends, having a flutter at the bookies, and being part of the local football community — these were the simple things that made him happiest.
Bobby leaves an enormous hole in all our lives. We are all better, kinder, and richer for having known him. His warmth, his wisdom, his humour and his love will stay with us forever.
To his loving family, his close friends, and his adoring Chelsea family — we send our deepest, most heartfelt condolences. We have all lost a true legend, and a very special man.
To Valerie, despite his battle with Alzheimer’s, I clearly remember Bobby in a moment of clarity saying “she’s the best, I’d be lost without her” you cried but he was right. The dedication you showed to him was absolutely incredible.
Rest in peace, Bobby. You will never be forgotten.
Ray Gavin retweeted
Chelsea 1969-71: Then and Now
Tugs at the heartstrings I can’t lie
youtu.be/bx8qj0hd9UE?si=HaWl… via @YouTube
