#france volley

[volleyballhqpics]

Antoine Brizard of France and Jean Patry of France celebrates during the Men's Volleyball Gold Medal Match between France and Poland on Day 15 of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at South Paris Arena 1 on August 10, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Henk Jan Dijks/Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)

[beatrack92]

Clémence Vieira 🇫🇷

Paris 2024 Olympics

[volleytimes-com]

VNL 2024: Slovenia remain undefeated! Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, France and USA ok

🏐| VNL 2024: Slovenia remain undefeated! Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, France and USA ok | Pool 3 - Week 2 - Fukuoka 🇯🇵 • Bulgaria - Iran 3-2 (20:25, 25:22, 25:23, 20:25, 15:11) • Brazil - Slovenia 2-3 (25:27, 25:23, 24:26, 25:21, 12:15) • Japan - Poland 0-3 (17:25, 15:25, 20:25) | Pool 4 - Week 2 - Ottawa 🇨🇦 • Cuba - Italy 1-3 (21:25, 25:22, 19:25, 13:25) • France - The Netherlands 3-1 (25:20, 20:25, 25:19, 25:22) • USA - Serbia 3-1 (23:25, 25:15, 25:23, 25:14) Read more here 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

Slovenia continues their undefeated path in 2024 Volleyball Nations League, defeating Brazil 2-3 (25:27, 25:23, 24:26, 25:21, 12:15) in Fukuoka, Japan in what was the first time they have beaten the three-time Olympic champions in an official match, thus solidifying their ranking and bolstering their chances for the Olympic Games. This victory is their sixth victory in as many games in this…

[norrisainz33]

Volley || OP81

☆ summary: in which oscar is obsessed with his olympic volleyball playing wife

☆ pairing: oscar piastri x olympic!reader

☆ fc & warnings: jordan thompson + pinterest & none

☆ requested: yes! thank you for the oscar and volleyball suggestion 🤍

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ⠀

oscarpiastri has made a post

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oscarpiastri: one last little trip before my gorgeous wife (god i love saying that) heads to paris! good luck champ 🧡

view all 453 comments

user1: when will it be my turn

user2: they’re the cutest newly weds i hate it (i love it)

landonorris: let’s gooooo mrs piastri!!!!

ynpiastri: thank you lan 🥹

nicolepiastri: i’m so proud of you y/n/n!

ynpiastri: love you mama p 🤍

ynpiastri: thank you for the best getaway. see you soon my love 🫶🏻

oscarpiastri: i’ll be waiting with open arms 🤍

ynpiastri has made a post

liked by landonorris, oscarpiastri, teamusa, yourbff, and 45,345 others

ynpiastri: reporting live from paris!!! ready for my first ever olympics with the best team i could ever ask for. let’s get it girls 💪🏻

view all 201 comments

user3: my god she’s gorgeous

user4: hit that ball!! or whatever it is you do in volleyball idk i love you and hope you win

lewishamilton: you got this 💪🏻

ynpiastri: thank you lew 🤍

user5: never watched volleyball before but you know darn well im tuning in for mrs piastri 🗣️

mclarenf1: sending love from the mtc

alexandrasaintmleux: good luck pretty girl

ynpiastri: says the prettiest girl

oscarpiastri: yes, that first picture is my phone background now! thank you!

ynpiastri: you’re so cute stop 🥹

landonorris: he’s telling the truth i saw it

texts between you and oscar

teamusa has made a post

liked by oscarpiastri, ynpiastri, yourbff, yourteammate1, yourteammate2, mclarenf1 and 89,567 others

teamusa: and just like that, our girls are headed to the next round! USA’s volleyball teams sweeps France to move onto the quarterfinals 💪🏻🇺🇸

view all 235 comments

user8: Y/N SPOTTING

ynpiastri: could not be more proud of this team 😭

user24: we could not be more proud of you y/n

yourbff: AND I AM SO PROUD OF YOU MS GIRL

logansargeant: ayooo let’s goooo!!

user12: logan being here is so important to me ok

user18: loscar crumbs 🥲

oscarpiastri: that’s my wife 🗣️

user22: we know buddy, no one’s tryna take her

oscarpiastri: absolutely incredible match! so proud of everyone on this team

user65: oscar supporting everyone not just his girl is so wholesome

user66: oscar is the politest cat, making sure he compliments everyone

user88: america 🇺🇸 🦅🇺🇸

user24: came for y/n, staying bc i know love volleyball

oscarpiastri has made a post

liked by yourbff, ynpiastri, logansargeant, landonorris, maxverstappen1, lewishamilton, and 756,021 others

oscarpiastri: it’s missing y/n o’clock so enjoy some photos from our honeymoon. the gold medal match is tomorrow so i expect you all to tune in!

view all 432 comments

user13: ty for reminding me i’m single

user14: mans is obsessed with his wife

landonorris: down bad o’clock i see

maxverstappen1: oh let him be! you’ll understand one day

oscarpiastri: what max said !!!

landonorris: okok i get it, i don’t know what it’s like to be a husband or whatever

ynpiastri: and when i say i miss you more?

oscarpiastri: brb hopping on a plane to paris

mclarenf1: oscar you have a race tomorrow

ynpiastri: pretty please admin

mclarenf1: who’s gonna drive the car then?

ynpiastri: zak!

mclarenf1: 🥹 be for real y/n/n

ynpiastri has added to their story

view story replies

oscarpiastri: how do you manage to always look so beautiful???

ynpiastri: osc 😭 you’re too sweet

oscarpiastri: never too sweet for you

landonorris: who’s your teammate 👀

ynpiastri: off limits norris

landonorris: you never let me have any fun y/n

ynpiastri: for good reason!!!

yourbff: you are glowing

user13: our favorite olympian fr

user22: i’ll be watching and screaming for mrs piastri like my life depends on it

oscarpiastri has made a post

liked by ynpiastri, logansargeant, mclarenf1, maxverstappen1, landonorris, yourbff, and 324,387 others

oscarpiastri: y/n “gold medalist” piastri. that’s it, that’s the post

view all 516 comments

user44: yayyayayyayayaay !!!!!!

carmenmundt: my favorite volleyball star

georgerussell63: mine too!

logansargeant: RAHHHH AMERICA 🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸 (did i do it right?)

ynpiastri: yes 🤍

user2: AHAHA LOGAN

user3: he’s one of us

user66: my mom won her first gold medal not long after my dad won his first grand prix 🥹 oh i love them

landonorris: DO YOU HEAR ME SCREAMING CROM HERE?!

ynpiastri: omg that was you?

user4: i love their friendship

mclarenf1: congratulations mrs piastri!!!

nicolepiastri: that’s our girl! what an incredible moment 🧡

user88: so proud so proud

oscarpiastri has made a post

liked by ynpiastri, yourbff, teamusa, lewishamilton, mclarenf1 and 876,355 others

oscarpiastri: my gold medal baby is home

view all 608 comments

user18: husband oscar content 😭

landonorris: thank goodness, i couldn’t handle you crying about missing her anymore

ynpiastri: u were crying abt missing me too you muppet

landonorris: your point?

ynpiastri: glad to be back with you my boy 🤍

oscarpiastri: glad you’re back but i’m already looking forward to the next olympics!! i love seeing my girl succeed

logansargeant: a bunch of simps 🤭

user19: if my partner doesn’t post me like this i don’t want it

user22: @.my partner take notes 🗣️

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ⠀

a/n: another installment of the olympic reader! as always thank you for reading 🫶🏻

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ⠀

© norrisainz33: please do not rewrite, translate, or copy any of my works posted here on to any other platform

[woso-dreamzzz]

Prodigy

Olympique Lyonnais x Teen!Reader

Summary: A slow morning at baggage claim

Two international youngsters are produced out of the Chelsea academy.

One goes to Spain and Barcelona. She plays striker.

The other goes to France and Lyon. You play centreback.

It seemed like fate that everyone would consider you rivals but you don't really care about that. You don't put much effort into looking through media articles.

You have better things to do.

"Hey, y/n! Come back here please!"

You huff, peeling off from Damaris and Ellie to head back to Ada and Wendie. You'd been sitting next to them for the whole flight from France to America.

"I don't want you to get lost. Hand, please."

"Come on!" You complain," I'm not as bad as-" You trail off. You don't say her name.

You think she must be a sore spot for the team after the three goals she scored past them in the Champion's League final. You were meant to be on the pitch that day too but during your last training session, you'd hurt your ankle and had to stay in France.

You give Ada your hand.

You live with her most of the time, although frequent sleepovers at Ellie and Daan's were a must. When Ada is stressed about things, you leave her to decompress by hanging out with Wendie, though you have to prepare yourself every time.

Your Papa is French and you've yet to decide what international team you want to play for. Wendie keeps trying to convince you to pick France.

It's kind of funny to see her try to sneak it into every conversation she can when you sleep over at hers.

Either way, Ada walks you through customs before setting you free in baggage collection.

You're off like a shot, eager to stretch your legs as Damaris and Selma race the luggage carts. Vanessa is on Selma's so you clamber onto Damaris' as she gets a run up and pushes you.

Ellie's acting as the ref and she narrows her eyes as both carts come to a stop.

"She's cheating!" You insist as Vanessa drags the cart forward using her hands. "Cheater!"

Ellie closes her eyes. "I don't see anything."

"Oh, come on!"

It's very early in the morning so there's no one else in the luggage claim, just your team.

You kind of assumed with no one else around that the bags would arrive quicker but clearly not.

You get bored of the game rather quickly and return to your older teammates.

Wendie, Ada and now Lindsey too are sitting on the floor, up against the wall as they wait for the bag carousel to start moving. You don't know who brought out the football but they did.

They're not using it though, just rolling it between them as you approach.

"Ellie's not a very good ref," You tell them," She's helping Vanessa and Selma cheat."

"Do you want to play with the ball?" Lindsey asks and you puff out your cheeks.

"I'm not a baby." You plop down next to her and she ruffles your hair.

"No but you don't do well not doing stuff and I know your phone is dead. Do you want the ball or not?"

You mumble something.

She grins, cupping her ear. "What was that?"

You mumble something again.

Ada and Wendie are grinning now too.

"Sorry. I couldn't hear. You'll have to speak a bit louder."

You glare at her and Wendie snatches the ball. "Go stand over there. Volley is back to me."

Wendie is a centreback. You're a centreback too.

You arrived from Chelsea fresh-faced and worried and Wendie decided you were her little project. She'd told you once, a little tipsy during a team bonding session, that you had the most raw talent she'd seen in a while and that she wanted to see you get better and better.

She trained you every second she could.

"Weaker foot this time," She says to you as you volley the ball back to her.

It's still early. The flight was long but you've suddenly got energy again so you can keep up with her coaching even as she gets up. She changes from throwing the ball at you to kicking it so soon you've both got a good volley going as Ada and Lindsey talk to each other.

"I didn't know Barcelona were doing their preseason here," Ada notes," I thought they'd be in Mexico."

You let the ball drop, turning your head automatically to see the Barcelona girls coming into the baggage claim.

You spot her quickly, just like how you usually do. You could spot her in any crowd.

Wendie spots her too, as does Ada. Both of them lay their hands on your shoulders.

She's across the room with Alexia Putellas though, held back by her backpack when she nearly wanders into a pillar because she's focused on eating her snacks.

You go to move but the hands on your shoulder tighten.

"What?"

Ada purses her lips. "Why don't we sit back down?"

It dawns on you then that Ada and Wendie have seen all the articles, all the articles that insist on the 'bitter rivalry' between you and your daydreamer.

"No-" You say with a little laugh," It's not like that. It's-"

A body barrels into you and lips are on yours in an instant.

You kiss your girlfriend back.

"I missed you!" She says and you peak over her shoulder to see Alexia Putellas and Irene Paredes standing there with their mouths wide open.

You laugh, just knowing Ada and Wendie are the same. "I missed you too!"

"It's so cool we're in the same city again! I've been doing my research and there's this really well-reviewed snack place near her that we should go to!" She tugs on your hand and you dig in your heels.

"Slow down, dreamy," You say," We still need to get our bags!"

"But Ale and Irene said I could go if I took someone with me."

You can hear Alexia Putellas sigh and mutter," I meant someone from our team."

Your girlfriend ignores her.

"Ada? Wendie?" You ask tentatively.

Ada sighs. "Take Daan and Ellie with you. We'll get your bags."

"Thank you!"

Your girlfriend sorts out her own escorts in the form of Ingrid Engen and Mapi León and she pulls you out the door.

You can't resist the teasing words you throw over your shoulder at your girlfriend's captain.

"I'll have her home by midnight!"

[b0ringasfuck]

Attenzione che magari ancora gli è sfuggito cosa tu pensi di abr e Francesco. Ma potrebbero trovare la risposta tra i pantaloni di Vannacci.

Ah il giornalista era di LaPresse.

Grande perculata al giornalaio repubblichino latore di domande dovute come da contratto.

[pepi1989]

Hi love ur amazing 🫶 English isn’t my first language so I hope this makes sense. can you write a long story about Laver Cup where for the first time, a WTP player can join for a mixed doubles and a women’s match? And reader is the WTP tennis player on team Europe, with banter and mock rivalry between Team World since she’s close with them as friends but obviously being on opposing team means they have rivalry? And then both teams sitting on one sofa on the last day, Ben and reader getting very close together and flirting and the bench can picks up some of it and they both get asked separately on their team press conference?

Don't worry honey, your English is very good! Loved this idea, let's make it like they didn't make Ben play every doubles game lol

Rivals, or Something Like That - Ben Shelton

I’m sitting on the edge of my seat, watching Alcaraz and Zverev take on Team World. The match is intense, but it’s not what’s keeping my mind occupied. Across the court, in their red and black jackets, Ben and Frances are sitting on the Team World bench, loudly cheering for their teammates. And, of course, they’re throwing comments my way. Because why wouldn’t they? It’s Ben.

“[Y/N], you better be ready for a beatdown!” Ben’s voice echoes across the court, catching me completely off guard. He grins that grin, the grin while Frances chuckles beside him. I roll my eyes, trying to focus on the match, but honestly, all I can think about is what kind of beatdown he’s talking about. In tennis, obviously. Right?

I glance over at Grigor, who’s sitting next to me on the bench, and he just raises his eyebrows at me like he knows exactly what’s going through my head. “Don’t let him get in your head, [Y/N],” Grigor says with a smirk. I’m about to respond when Frances chimes in from across the court. “Don’t worry, [Y/N], we’ll go easy on you. We don’t want to make you cry.”

Oh, it’s like that?

“You two better focus on your team losing,” I shoot back, trying to hide my smirk. But Ben doesn’t let up. “We’ll see who’s crying when we’re done with you,” Ben calls, his voice all teasing but with this weird tension underneath it. It’s just banter, right? That’s what we always do. Except now, I can’t stop thinking about how Ben keeps looking over at me in between matches. And why is it that, every time he does, my stomach feels like it’s doing somersaults?

When the time finally comes for my match, I’m paired with Dimitrov against Ben and Frances. Of course it’s Ben. Because why wouldn’t it be? The whole thing feels weirdly set up, but I push those thoughts aside and focus. The first few rallies are tight, every point fought for. Ben’s powerful serves are no joke, but I’m managing to keep up. Still, every time I look across the net, I catch him looking at me, like we’re in some secret tennis duel only the two of us understand.

At one point, I miss a volley, barely, and Ben doesn’t let it slide. “Nice try, [Y/N],” he says with that smirk that’s becoming a little too familiar. “Need me to show you how it’s done?” Please. “Only if you want to lose faster,” I snap back, my heart racing, and not just because of the game.

But then Frances, being Frances, decides to make it even weirder. “Why don’t you two just get it over with already? You’ve been flirting all day.” I nearly choke on air. Excuse me? Ben just laughs, but the heat rushing to my face is undeniable. I shoot a glare at Frances, who is absolutely not helping. “Focus on the game, Frances,” I mumble, hoping no one else noticed. But, of course, everyone noticed.

After the match, we all end up backstage, completely exhausted. There’s this giant sofa that’s supposed to fit everyone, but honestly, it’s a miracle we’re not all on top of each other. And, because the universe has a sense of humor, I end up squished between Ben and Alcaraz. “Comfortable?” Ben asks, his voice a little too close for comfort as his leg presses up against mine. We’re basically sharing half the same cushion at this point, and I swear I can feel the warmth of his arm next to mine.

I don’t look at him, instead keeping my eyes on the ceiling, like that’s the most interesting thing in the world right now. “Oh yeah, super comfortable,” I deadpan, shifting slightly, but somehow, we end up even closer. The banter doesn’t stop, but now it’s all weirdly charged. I catch Ben’s grin out of the corner of my eye, and Frances, of course, just can’t let us be. “You two should really get your own sofa,” he mutters, not even bothering to hide his smirk.

I want to disappear. Is it that obvious? Ben just shrugs, leaning in a little more. “Hey, I’m not the one complaining.” At this point, Alcaraz and the rest of Team Europe are trying to stifle their laughter, but it’s no use. Everyone is in on the joke. Even Taylor Fritz from the other side of the room calls out, “Are you guys sure you’re on opposite teams? Because it doesn’t look like it.” “I’m about to switch teams if you keep this up,” I mutter under my breath, trying to ignore the fact that my face is probably bright red by now. Ben just smirks. “Don’t worry, [Y/N]. I’ve got room on Team World for you.”

What does that even mean?

The next day, we’ve won, and I’m sitting at the post-match press conference, trying to act like everything is normal. Except it’s not. Because the press? They’ve noticed everything. “So, [Y/N],” one journalist starts, and I can already tell this is going to be bad. “There’s been a lot of talk about your interactions with Ben Shelton during the tournament. Care to comment?”

I feel my face heat up, and my teammates are no help, stifling their laughter beside me. Dimitrov is the worst offender, elbowing me like he can’t wait to hear my answer. “We’re just friends,” I say, trying to play it off cool. But honestly, it sounds a lot less convincing than I wanted it to. The journalist presses on. “It seemed like there was a bit more than just friendly competition on that sofa yesterday.”

I hear someone, probably Zverev, laugh softly beside me. I want the floor to open up and swallow me whole. “Look, we were just… you know, teammates… on opposing teams…” What am I even saying?

Meanwhile, across the room, Ben’s handling his own press conference, and of course, they’re asking him about the exact same thing. “Ben, there seemed to be some extra chemistry between you and [Y/N] during the tournament. Can you tell us what’s going on there?”

I’m watching from the screen backstage, my face burning as I wait for his answer. Ben just grins, leaning into the mic like this is the most natural question in the world. “Oh, we’re just having a little fun,” he says, clearly enjoying this way too much. “She’s a great competitor, no more than that.” But then he glances at the camera, and I swear he winks. “You’ll have to keep watching, though. Who knows what might happen next?”

[whencyclopedia]

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), or the American War of Independence, was a conflict between Great Britain and its 13 North American colonies, who declared independence as the United States of America. Initially a rebellion within the British Empire, the war took on a global scope when France and Spain joined against the British, contributing to the eventual American victory.

War Begins

The war was the central part of a broader political upheaval, the American Revolution (c. 1765-1789), which had taken root over a decade before the first shots were fired. The quarrel between Britain and the Thirteen Colonies, over the issue of parliamentary taxes, steadily escalated, as colonists were divided into factions; the Whigs, or Patriots, opposed the taxes on the basis that they were unconstitutional, while the Tories, or Loyalists, remained in support of Great Britain. Tensions sometimes boiled over into acts of violence, such as the Boston Massacre (1770) and the Boston Tea Party (1773); a group of political agitators known as the Sons of Liberty was also known to assault Loyalists, tarring and feathering them.

In 1774, Parliament responded to the Boston Tea Party by issuing the so-called Intolerable Acts, which aimed to punish Boston by closing its harbor to commerce and suspending representative government in Massachusetts. In September 1774, 12 of the 13 colonies sent delegates to the First Continental Congress, where it was decided that the New England militias should begin preparing for a potential conflict with British soldiers. Amidst these rising tensions, General Thomas Gage, military governor of Massachusetts, knew that he could not crush a rebellion with the meager forces he had on hand and sought to suppress the New England militias before they had a chance to strike. He decided to achieve this by seizing stores of munitions that the militias had kept stockpiled in various towns.

Shortly after midnight on 19 April 1775, 700 elite British soldiers marched toward the town of Concord, where one such stockpile of weapons was stored. Despite Gage's attempts at discretion, the Patriots had discovered his intentions several days in advance; no sooner had the British troops set out than two Patriot riders, Paul Revere and William Dawes, were on their way to alert the militias. When the British soldiers reached the town of Lexington, on the road to Concord, they were confronted by 70 militiamen. After a brief standoff, a shot was fired; although it is unknown who fired it, it became immortalized as 'the shot heard round the world'. The British forces responded by firing two musket volleys, killing eight militiamen and wounding another ten.

After clearing the colonial militia off Lexington Green, the British continued on to Concord, where they encountered more resistance from 400 militiamen. After discovering that most of the munitions had already been removed by the Patriots, the soldiers began their 12-mile (19 km) retreat to Boston. The Patriots harassed them utilizing guerilla warfare, and by the end of the march, they had lost 273 casualties, compared to 95 Patriot losses. By then, the number of Patriots had swollen to 15,000 men. Encouraged by their victory in the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Patriots laid siege to the 6,000 soldiers trapped inside Boston.

Continue reading...

[napoleonic-sexyman-tournament]

Propaganda for Michel Ney:

This man. THIS MAN HAD SO MUCH CHARACTER. HE’S LITERALLY THE KIND OF MAN THAT INSPIRES GOOD FICTIONAL CHARACTERS NGL!! Since he’s up against a british person, here is a description of him by the Times of London:

“... his name rendered illustrious by 25 years of eminent services and brilliant exploits, was dear to the country, and even the enemies of France admired in him the character of the Great Captain. All allowed him to possess as much generosity of sentiment as bravery and skill at the head of armies. No trait of weakness, adulation or rapacity, had ever cast shade over his loyalty and military virtues. His sole defect seemed to be a certain vehemence of character and expression, which rendered him little suited to public affairs.”

And his death was so tragic. In Waterloo, he had made a fatal mistake with the cavalry, and he decides here that he will die. We don’t know exactly what happened here. Did he have so much PTSD from russia and years of war that he made such a stupid mistake (AA ALSO AFTER the disaster of russia campaign he isolated himself so much. Poor man🥺)? But one thing’s for sure, this man wasn’t a coward. The Bravest of the Brave was not a man who’d mess up in the war and just run away. On those grassy fields, Ney tried everything to get his men’s attention and when all hope seemed lost he shouted in the faces of the enemies “See how a marshal of France meets his death!” It seems in that moment his greatest want was to be killed by english bullets. But Victor Hugo recounts this and adds the ironic line of “Unhappy man, thou wert reserved for French bullets!”

…😭😭😭😭ISN’T THAT JUST…. SO POETIC AND TRAGIC?????

AND DON’T EVEN. DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON HOW HE DIED!!!!

This man sobs afterwords he gets tried for treason against france basically for siding with Napoleon. But with how unfairly they zero-in on ney’s wrong doings, this was a blood sacrifice. To help him, his lawyer reasoned that the place Ney was born from technically was no longer french, since it has been annexed by Prussia from the 1815 treaty of paris…

But this guy. OH nOnoNonononononoNO, this red-haired, lion-looking, emotional honor-filled patriot has the audacity to interrupt his defender and say loudly without the slightest doubt or hesitation "I am French and I will remain French!"

….

Come on. COME ON!!!! How stupid is he???!! How idiotic!! He just closed another door to survival because of what??

because of honor….. Wow, can you imagine that? He has given everything all his years of service, all his years of being a husband, a father, a son, all his years of rest and peace of mind to France. He has done so much, and even when…EVEN WHEN FRANCE SLAPS HIM ACROSS THE FACE AND SAYS “you traitor” He shouts back “I am French and I will remain French!” aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA OMG….. what the hek…who is this man????

So he is executed as a traitor. There are different versions of his death but here are a few:

By Rochechouart:

“He [Ney], of course, refused to kneel down and be blind-folded; he merely asked the Commandant Saint-Bias to show him where he should stand. He stood facing the platoon, who held their guns ready to fire. Then, in an attitude I shall never forget, it was so noble, calm and dignified, without bravado, he took off his hat, and availing himself of the moment when the Adjutant stepped aside and gave the signal to fire, he said these words, which I distinctly heard: Frenchmen, I protest against my sentence; my honour..." As he said these words he placed his hand on his heart; the volley was fired, and he fell. A rolling of drums, and the shout of "Vive le Roi" from the surrounding troops closed the mournful ceremony.”

Such a death made a deep impression on me, and turning to Auguste de la Rochejaquelein, Colonel of the Grenadiers, who was beside me, and who, like me, deplored the death of the bravest of the brave, I said: ‘There, my dear friend, is a lesson how to die.’”

By M. Laisne:

“He [Ney] took some steps, removed his hat, and in a loud and clear voice: ‘I protest,’ he said ‘before heaven and mankind, that the judgment that condemns me is iniquitous; I appeal from it to Europe and to posterity’ …. Before these words there was presented to him a handkerchief to bandage his eyes. He answered with exaltation, ‘do you not know that a soldier does not fear death.’ He advanced again four paces, laying his hand on his heart and said to the soldiers: ‘Do your duty. It is there that you must hit, do not miss me.’ Instantly he fell dead.”

And finally a very close person to him, Ida Saint-Elme:

“Ney got out of the carriage. He was wearing civilian clothes: a long dark coat, a white necktie, black breeches and stockings, a tall beaver hat with curved brim. He uncovered. His slightly raised head showed that his face wore a tranquil expression. He looked first to the right and then to the left. He caught sight of me. Then, as though fearing to compromise his faithful friends by the least sign of recognition, he bent his brow downward a trifle.”

“He walked on with firm step. At that instant I discerned through the mist, in the centre of the square of troops, and standing out from the dark background of the wall, the firing squad. I tried to rush forward. Belloc pulled me back, and forced me into the cab.”

“Then I dropped weakly upon the seat. A few minutes elapsed, each a whole century long. Then I heard a sharp report. I went into a dead faint."

His death is so tragic and amazing. It really shows out his character and was the initial thing that got me interested in him as a person. Anyways, basically, this dude is such a tragic glory-lover but also very heroic and inspiring.

So therefore HE ISS SEXY GO VOTE FOR NEY!!!

.

[scotianostra]

On October 31st 1903 Hampden Park stadium opened in Glasgow as the home of Queen’s Park Football Club.

Sources differ some say October 25th but SFA state 31st

Hampden was the biggest stadium in the world, it would hold this record until 1950 when The Maracanã Stadium in Rio, it held and incredible 199,854 for the final.

Back to Hampden, it opened for a league game on this day in 1903, three years late it held it’s first international when Scotland played England in front of a crowd of 102,741 people, which established Hampden as the primary home of the Scotland team.

Attendances continued to increase during the remainder of the 1900s, as 121,452 saw the 1908 Scotland v England match. A new world record of 127,307 were in attendance to see Scotland play England in 1912.

World record crowds attended Scotland matches against England in 1931 and 1933 and it was 33 that saw the first team from mainland Europe, Austria visit the stadium. Further ground improvements increased the official capacity of the ground to 183,388 in 1937, but the SFA were only allowed to issue 150,000 tickets for games. The 1937 Scotland v England match had an official attendance of 149,415, but at least 20,000 more people entered the ground without tickets.

During WW2 a government official presented an order demanding that both the Hampden and Lesser Hampden pitches be ploughed and used to plant vegetables, but the Queen’s Park committee chose to ignore the order and the government did not pursue it.

Hampden hosted the 1960 European Cup Final; Real Madrid defeated 7–3 Eintracht Frankfurt with 130,000 people in attendance. By the time the next European cup final was held in 1976 between Bayern Munich of West Germany and Saint-Étienne of France the attendance had fallen to 54,670. The French complained about the goalposts stating that two of their efforts which hit the square crossbar and rebounded into play would have resulted in goals if it had been round!

Hampden was aging and the capacity was cut 81,000, redevelopment started in October 1981 and completed in 1986, reduced the capacity to 74,370 and cost £3 million. After the cancellation of the annual Scotland v England fixture in 1989, questions were raised as to whether Scottish football required a separate national stadium, other venues were mooted but the SFA and the stadium committee rejected these and after securing a grant of £3.5 million in 1992, work to begin on a £12 million project to convert Hampden into an all-seater stadium, Hampden was re-opened for a friendly match between Scotland and Netherlands on 23 March. The final stage of the renovation began in November 1997, costing £59 million, inevitably the price soared but Hampden was re-opened for the 1999 Scottish Cup Final. The ground now has a capacity of 51,866.

The stadium was again fit to host the top matches and Real Madrid were again victorious when Hampden Park hosted the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final, defeating Bayer Leverkusen, with Zinedine Zidane scoring the winning goal with a left-foot volley.

In 2012, a Scotland women’s national football team game was played at Hampden for the first time, when it hosted the first leg of a European Championship qualifying playoff against Spain and Hampden was temporarily converted into an athletics stadium for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the European Championship in 2020 the National stadium has been chosen by Uefa as on of 13 venues for the competition and I am sure the people of Scotland will welcome whoever is chosen to play in Glasgow.

With the advent of big stadium concerts Hampden has been used to host a wealth of worldwide acts Genesis and Paul Young performed in the first concert at Hampden, in 1987. The Rolling Stones played there in 1990, during their Urban Jungle Tour. Since the redevelopment of Hampden was completed in 1999, many acts have performed there, including The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Bon Jovi, Eagles, U2,Oasis, George Michael, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Diamond, Take That, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Pink, Paul McCartney, Rihanna, and Beyoncé.

The national stadium takes a lot of stick, but the cost of building a new one is way out of reach for the SFA, but if they somehow came up with funding I think it would be more suited to be somewhere around the Stirling area, I would also like to see a train station as near as damn it next to it, we can but dream though..........

[volleyballhqpics]

France Volley Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 0

[beatrack92]

Eva Hamzaoui 🇫🇷

2006 Warsaw Open

[volleytimes-com]

VNL 2024: win for Slovenia, Japan, and Serbia. France down Italy at tie break

🏐| VNL 2024: win for Slovenia, Japan, and Serbia. France down Italy at tie break | Pool 3 - Week 2 - Fukuoka 🇯🇵 • Slovenia - Türkiye 3-0 (25:22, 26:24, 25:20) • Germany - Japan 2-3 (22:25, 25:22, 27:25, 23:25, 8:15) | Pool 4 - Week 2 - Ottawa 🇨🇦 • Serbia - The Netherlands 3-0 (25:17, 25:20, 26:24) • France - Italy 3-2 (25:23, 18:25, 25:23, 19:25, 15:10) Read more here 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

More to follow __________________ 🏐| FIVB VOLLEYBALL NATIONS LEAGUE 2024 | Wednesday | June 5, 2024 | Pool 3 – Week 2 – Fukuoka 🇯🇵 • 15.30 (Local Time) | Slovenia – Türkiye 3-0 (25:22, 26:24, 25:20) • 19.20 (Local Time) | Germany – Japan 2-3 (22:25, 25:22, 27:25, 23:25, 8:15) | Pool 4 – Week 2 – Ottawa 🇨🇦 • 16.30 (Local Time) | Serbia – The Netherlands 3-0 (25:17, 25:20, 26:24) • 20.00 (Local…

[butternuggets-blog]

FOR WANT OF A NAIL

@baldwin-montclair @adowobsessed @sylverdeclermont @nicki-mac-me @thereadersmuse @kynthiamoon @wheresthesunshinesblog @adowbaldwin @beautifulsoulsublime @lady-lazarus-declermont @adarafaelbarba-blog @dogblessyoutascha

Part Fifty-Four

Summary:  Baldwin Montclair had a string of ex girlfriends, a single child, and a  lifetime longer than most people could dream of to make all kinds of  mistakes. His family knew one which kept coming out of the woodwork to  irritate him every other century

Also on AO3

When the call to arms finally came Yvette felt like she could breathe properly again. It was the anticipation of disaster that always hit her the hardest; she stood firmly in the eye of maelstroms.

England and France had been raiding each other's ships of supplies and mercantile goods for around two years now. Skirmishes between French galleys and English cogs up and down the coast, towns and villages raided; there had been civilian casualties in both countries but still it wasn't technically "war".

The match to the powder keg had been news that King Edward was planning to set sail from England but was suffering delays. King Philip, taking advantage of his opponents' momentary lapse of focus, sailed the Great Army of the Sea - 200 repossessed ships, mostly of Norman make - to Sluys on the Flanders coast and cut off the English-held port's communication lines to home.

Scrambling his resources in record time, Edward set sail, a two hundred and fifty ships to Philip's two hundred and thirteen.

It was breathtaking, watching the black dot grow on the horizon. By noon Yvette could actually see the cogs in full sail bearing down on them, and by mid-afternoon they attacked.

Yvette heard her uncle swear as the first volley of arrows rained down. She was crouched behind a couple of barrels, a tiny shield raised above her head; from her position she could look across the deck through the howling wind and torrential rain to see the archers at the starboard edge returning fire, peppering the English longbowmen with their crossbows.

A soldier hit the deck as she watched, the shaft of an arrow buried deep in the man's eye. Blood slicked the deck; someone was screaming.

Breathe. Move. Collect the arrows.

Yvette sprinted, fell, shield still raised and someone else's blood on her knees. The ship beneath her was lurching to the left, fighting against the rudder that was forcing it right.

'Here! Girl!'

The soldier looked stricken by his slip of the tongue.

'Apologies m'lady-'

Yvette ignored him. The fleet had been lashed together to create a barrier against the encroaching English but the current had carried them to the east and around each other, until everyone was hopelessly entangled. By the time the order came to cut loose the enemy was upon them.

Yvette looked up, spotting the problem. One of the bolts holding the chains in place had twisted, sticking into and pinning other chains and thick knots of rope. She worked her slim fingers between the mess, holding her breath as she slowly worked the bolt free.

The chains and rope jumped as the bolt slid loose but she got herself clear before they sliced through her fingers. Wiping grease and rainwater onto the rest of the bolts, she worked them out of their holes as the soldiers sawed through the ropes and someone yanked her clear as the ship detached from the rest of the fleet.

'Merci,' Yvette pat the soldier on the arm. 'Godspeed your good work!'

The men gave a hearty cheer as she ran on. Down into the hold, along midship to the store, then back up to the men clutching several sheaves of arrows.

________________________________________________________________

They lost, in the end.

The Flemish had attacked the rear when the battle began to turn, so that between them and the English and the roaring sea the French fleet began to break down. Nicolas Béhuchet de Musy de La Loupe d'Escrignolles, one of the fleet's commanders, had been captured and hung from his own mast, while many men jumped in the water to avoid capture, only to drown as they were dragged beneath the waves.

Yvette shivered violently, but kept a firm grip on the burlap sack in her hand. She was drenched, soaked to the bone in rainwater, seawater and blood, but she had refused to stop doling out the ship-biscuit rations the men were owed.

Her uncle had sworn an oath to her father to get her home safe. She owed it to him to help his men get back safely as well.

'That is enough, now' Baldwin carefully pried the sack from Yvette's frigid hand as she passed by.

'But I have not finished-'

'Yes you have,' Baldwin knelt down, smiling proudly, and wrapped Yvette's hands in his. 'You have done very well, and I am so proud of you. Now rest. You need your strength.'

Yvette nodded reluctantly.

'Besides, we need to get you out of those clothes and into something dry!' Baldwin led her up the deck towards his sleeping quarters. 'Your father would kill me if I let you catch another cold.'

________________________________________________________________

-Yvette stood firm on the bow. Our daughter has far better sea legs than you or I! She gets her strength from her father, never flinching in the face of the enemy. And nine years of age!

Your face has been ever-present in my mind since we last spoke. There is an ache for you that gnaws at me whenever I am abed. In the quiet I miss you. In the sunshine and the darkness you haunt me. I wish I could touch you.

Author's Notes

"The Battle of Sluys, also called the Battle of l'Écluse, was a naval battle fought on 24th June 1340 between England and France. It took place in the roadstead of the port of Sluys (French Écluse), on a since silted-up inlet between Zeeland and West Flanders. The English fleet of 120–150 ships was led by Edward III of England and the 230-strong French fleet by the Breton knight Hugues Quiéret, Admiral of France, and Nicolas Béhuchet, Constable of France. The battle was one of the opening engagements of the Hundred Years' War." Wikipedia

The French suffered losses of between 16,000 to 20,000 men; those who didn't drown upon flinging themselves into the water to escape capture (most soldiers couldn't swim) were viciously clubbed to death by the Flemish English-loyalists if they made it to the shore. 190 French ships were lost, with 166 captured.

A galley was a type of oared ship with a long hull; similar pre-medieval examples include the Scandinavian longships that were used by Viking raiders. Many galleys had sails, but they were primarily driven along by teams of oarsmen.

A cog was a clinker-built ship, made of oak, and used for trade and travel during the Medieval period. Clinker-built means that the edges of the hull planks overlapped each other; cogs were also bigger than galleys, with a greater carrying capacity.

Hard tack, or ship's biscuits, were a staple of navies world-wide from the 17th to the early 20th century. The earliest version of a ship's biscuit could be found in Egypt (dhourra cake) or Rome (bucellatum); they were designed to last for months at a time, providing a necessary source of food on long voyages if nothing else could be provided, and to help ease the strain on supplies.

[theivorlegov1]

Présentation de Thibaud Lefrançois Joueur de l'équipe de France Volley a...

[tomorrowusa]

Trump and the far right have hijacked the word "patriot" so that it now refers to anti-Constitution ignorant thugs who wish to install a Russia-style kleptocratic dictatorship in power in the US.

The difference in how Biden and Trump observed Memorial Day will tell you a lot about how they feel about America.

Joe Biden and Donald Trump marked the Memorial Day national holiday honoring America’s war dead with jarringly divergent messages that promised to foretell the forthcoming US presidential election campaign as a contest of sharply contrasting characters. In a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Biden paid tribute to the fallen as heroes who sacrificed themselves in the service of American democracy and ideals. Meanwhile, Trump, taking to his Truth Social site, took a very different tack – bestowing holiday wishes on those he branded “human scum” and accused them of trying to destroy the country. [ ... ] Identifying his own family with the notion of national sacrifice, Biden highlighted his son Beau, attributing his death from brain cancer nine years ago this week to his exposure to burn pits while serving in the military in Iraq. “The hurt is still real, still raw,” Biden said, after describing the “black hole” that opens up for family members who hear the news of the death of a relative serving in wartime.

Trump delivered one of his trademark holiday "greetings" which was, in reality, a personalized vitriolic diatribe.

Trump’s Memorial Day outburst, which reprised previous holiday volleys of abuse aimed at his enemies and opponents. “Happy Memorial Day to All, including the Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country, & to the Radical Left, Trump Hating Federal Judge in New York that presided over, get this, TWO separate trials, that awarded a woman, who I never met before (a quick handshake at a celebrity event, 25 years ago, doesn’t count!), 91 MILLION DOLLARS for ‘DEFAMATION,’” he wrote.

Trump couldn't squeeze in even a couple of syllables to thank those who had sacrificed for their country.

Trump is a nepo baby draft dodger whose filthy rich daddy bribed a doctor to claim that little Donny had a "bone spur" which made him ineligible for military service. Since the 1960s Trump has shown no signs of being bothered by a bone spur; he has spent countless hours on golf courses in the past 50+ years.

Trump considers those who served or even died for their country to be "losers" and "suckers".

Exclusive: John Kelly goes on the record to confirm several disturbing stories about Trump

John Kelly, the longest-serving White House chief of staff for Donald Trump, offered his harshest criticism yet of the former president in an exclusive statement to CNN. [ ... ] “What can I add that has not already been said?” Kelly said, when asked if he wanted to weigh in on his former boss in light of recent comments made by other former Trump officials. “A person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all ‘suckers’ because ‘there is nothing in it for them.’ A person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because ‘it doesn’t look good for me.’ A person who demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family – for all Gold Star families – on TV during the 2016 campaign, and rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in America’s defense are ‘losers’ and wouldn’t visit their graves in France." [ ... ] In the statement, Kelly is confirming, on the record, a number of details in a 2020 story in The Atlantic by editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, including Trump turning to Kelly on Memorial Day 2017, as they stood among those killed in Afghanistan and Iraq in Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery, and saying, “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?”

Any veteran who would vote for Trump is truly a self-hating loser. Trump has no use for anybody who doesn't enrich him or feed his lust for power.

It speaks poorly of Republicans that they would nominate somebody who heaps disrespect on those who have served in the armed forces.