#west point football

[usnatarchives]

🏈 Did you know that before becoming a five-star general and the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower took the field as a football player at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point?

In this historic photo from 1912, Eisenhower is captured kicking a football, showcasing the discipline and teamwork he carried throughout his life. While an injury cut short his football career, his time on the field undoubtedly shaped his leadership and determination. 📸: Dwight Eisenhower kicking a football at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, 1912.

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7671055

[princetonarchives]

Tiger Tuesday: The tiger for today's "Tiger Tuesday" is on the drum of a perhaps dejected drummer in Princeton's 1982 Bric-a-Brac. On October 17, 1981, Princeton University Band was not allowed to play at the halftime show for the Princeton-Army football game at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on the basis of what officials said were offensive performances in the prior few years. The band's perspective, as stated here, was that "nothing is sacred." However, the primary critique of the band was its heavy reliance on sexually suggestive humor, and disapproval came from many quarters.

The entire Tiger Tuesday series

[sl0wdiver]

✨Let’s do something fun! I wanna see the top 6 photos of your fave, these are mine! ✨

Tagged by @canirove - let's fucking go, Declan Rice solidarity. Original post linked below.

And six more tags to keep it doing: @jarrodsbowen @ruben-dias @bakingblues @afc-agitprop @heffer-wen @trentskis

[scarletwitch1918]

Kristie Mewis moving to west ham which means I’ll never be able to see her play at nwsl

[itsclydebitches]

I need to re-watch the scene for exact details, but I've been thinking all day about Nate's failed Diamond Dogs attempt and why it crashed and burned so hard. I mean, the obvious takeaway is that there is none of the love and support from which to build that kind of group at West Ham. As Beard lays out for Trent in the same episode, they're laying bare their innermost thoughts, feelings, and experiences. If you don't trust the people in the room (which Nate has no reason to yet - it strikes me that they're left in this awkward silence while waiting to officially begin, rather than the casual camaraderie we see in Ted's office) and if there's no respect (which there isn't, particularly between Rupert and Nate: Nate is catching on to all of Rupert's manipulations - what name to call him, cheating with his secretary, etc. - and Rupert just straight up refuses to see him as a person) then of course the core foundation of what the group is built on will crumble.

However, beyond that I also think intention is important too. The original Diamond Dogs forms because Ted needs advice about sleeping with Sassy. He makes himself vulnerable to the very group he's forming as a way of modeling what the Diamond Dogs are all about. In contrast, Nate's first meeting feels more like an excuse to brag. Yes, he does have a similar problem to unpack, namely the question of how he should navigate this relationship, but that felt secondary to me, with the excuse to tell these top dog (pardon the pun) men that he's finally landed a maybe girlfriend forefronting his motivations. Remember, Rupert was meant to be in the room and Nate makes it clear that this meeting is not really about the group helping each other, it's about them paying attention to his partial success/continued worries. The fact that the other guy (I don't even know his name, which speaks to the lack of bonds in this room) wants to talk about taking care of his ailing parents but Nate shuts him down kinda says it all. Compare that to Beard graciously telling Ted that he has the floor and then, once Ted is done, he asks if anyone else has a problem to unpack, including Roy. Nate's Diamond Dogs, beyond lacking the relationships necessary to work in the first place, feels like it's built on his own, stubborn self-interest; it was an attempted replacement for Rupert/formerly the social media/formerly Ted. What outside force is building up my self-confidence nowadays, especially when Richmond is on a winning streak? Nothing except a maybe girlfriend! Let's try to create a new source of validation.

Nate has undoubtedly improved a great deal throughout this season. I actually thought at first that he was improving too quickly and with, to my mind, no narrative explanation. It was only when I saw other fans pointing out the power of getting distance from those who have enacted real and perceived harm (AKA the club and Ted) that Nate's kinda-offscreen growth made a bit more sense to me. However, now I'm actually glad to see him failing in these ways. Trying to talk to Ted after the game, spotting Rupert's manipulation, fluff family time that makes no mention of his father's expectations, a perfect end to his terrible date, not caring that his box got crushed, not spitting in the mirror... it felt like the show was absolutely speed-running Nate's redemption arc because it's the last season, rather than allowing him to organically struggle with these issues and face on-screen events that act as a catalyst for his growth. To say nothing of how the show argues very strongly that growth has to be modeled/supported for an extended period of time... and Nate is without both this season, yet still seems to 'magically' be improving. Given where we left him, I kinda feel like I'm watching an alcoholic suddenly overcome their addiction while working in a brewery. Yeah, of course that's possible... but I very much expected this to happen in a different environment, or at least with far, FAR more support. So now, despite only having three episodes left, I'm reassured by the backslide. Nate refuses to wave to Ted in front of the crowd. He's still trying to suck up to Rupert, both over text and in person. He forms a group that, although oh-so-obviously modeled after Ted's, is really just a Nate the Great show. It feels like the show remembers that he has too much to work on to 'fix' it all with a girlfriend storyline. Nate is a very complicated character who needs a great deal of screen-time to come back from where we left him last season; frankly, more screen-time than he can feasibly get with just a few episodes left and a cast this large. Despite the potential pitfalls of that though, I think it's good that the season is reintroducing some of that complexity. Nate isn't just on a winning streak of his own with soft looks cast towards Richmond photos and an adoring girl in his bed. That need for external validation is still very much there and he's never going to fully come into himself until he realizes what the himbo boys did this season: Belief isn't a sign up on the wall, or a kind coach, or a girlfriend, or a Diamond Dogs group. Those all help support you, yes, but ultimately it has to come from within.

[sudden-stops-kill]

[7yearsofdele]

I do think it's interesting that some of the people annoyed that the England manager isn't English are also saying Potter isn't good enough for West Ham.

Right, so you see the problem then don't you?

[baddawgsports]

Bryson Daily Sets Army Football Rushing Record in Season Finale

[deliciousmakeravenue]

Notre Dame vs. Army live updates: Jadarian Price TD run adds to Irish's lead

Read more

[charl0ttan]

the temple of online teens to thirty somethings who listen to swans and natural snow buildings and the microphones and black midi and car seat headrest and coil and daughters and duster and godspeed you black emperor and have a nice life and neutral milk hotel and sigur ros and songs ohia and xiu xiu and animal collective and aphex twin and my bloody valentine and the velvet underground and talking heads and kate bush and joanna newsom and nick drake and captain beefheart and fishmans and the residents and les rallizes denudes and the smiths and the gerogerigegege and kero kero bonito and death grips and bjork and stereolab and radiohead and kanye west and slint and slowdive and cocteau twins and nas and a tribe called quest and elliott smith and television and pixies and sonic youth and dinosaur junior and the strokes and pharoah sanders and talk talk and black country new road and sufjan stevens and ajj and jeff buckley and sweet trip and leonard cohen and frank zappa and depeche mode and the clash and the stooges and unwound and tom waits and boards of canada and fiona apple and arcade fire and brian eno and boris and merzbow and sunn 0))) and melvins and ween and mount eerie and portishead and lcd soundsystem and wilco and big thief and pavement and kraftwerk and candy claws and yes and gang of four and sun kil moon and sun ra and burzum and death in june and current 93 and nurse with wound and psychic tv and this heat and wire and nick cave and bob dylan and the dismemberment plan and grouper and the brave little abacus and herbie hancock and beach house and patti smith and charles mingus and fugazi and minutemen and american football and yo la tengo and boredoms and wipers and the mars volta and fleet foxes and oasis and pulp and big star and sophie and flying lotus and the flaming lips and thundercat and mf doom and weezer and stars of the lid and jeff rosenstock and red house painters and tim hecker and steve reich and david bowie and lou reed and nico and jpegmafia and danny brown and husker du and misfits and r.e.m. and the replacements and soft machine and van der graaf generator and scott walker and philip glass and pj harvey and low and big black and new order and magdalena bay and steve roach and neu and can and magma and spiritualized and mort garson and henry cow and john zorn and faust and ornette coleman and xtc and the books and oneohtrix point never and nujabes and de la soul and rush and king gizzard and the lizard wizard and the cure and capn jazz and mitski and lana del rey and weyes blood and bon iver and giles corey and silver jews and the mountain goats and clipping and machine girl and deaths dynamic shroud Has just fallen into the ocean. ssorry

[vicholas]

July 26, 2024

(...)With the Paris Games starting on July 26, Israel's killing of athletes and players in Gaza, along with its destruction of the enclave's sports facilities, has triggered mounting demands to disqualify Israel from the tournament as activists and spectators question the legitimacy of its participation.

Palestinian writers and sports commentators contend that Israel's Gaza onslaught, which has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, also represents an attempt to eliminate sports and athletic achievement.

"It's a genocide ... ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people, and the attacks on athletes and sports in particular in the Gaza Strip are all very systematic attacks to obliterate and erase sports in the territory," Abubaker Abed, a Gaza-based sports journalist told Anadolu.

Israel's intentions go further than eliminating Gaza's current athletic capacity, according to writer and lecturer Abdaljawad Omar, who held that it was part of a concerted effort by Tel Aviv to undermine Palestinians' achievements in all areas, with sports being no exception.

"Israel systemically seeks to ensure that Palestinian accomplishments and potential in all realms remain dampened and always dwarfed by its own achievements.

"This applies to political, intellectual, economic, and literary fields, where historically, many talented and highly accomplished Palestinians have been targeted. Sports is no exception in this sense," he explained.  

The situation is "extremely worse" for athletes in Gaza, according to football journalist Abed, adding that many players have been killed in the territory.

According to the Palestinian Olympic Committee and Palestine Football Association, about 400 athletes have been killed since Oct. 7, with the football association noting that the war has claimed 245 players in that sport alone, including 69 children and 176 young men.

Some 33 scouts and 70 members of sports unions have also been killed.

According to the association, Israeli forces have also detained players, including 12 in the occupied West Bank.

Israel's attacks have killed several Olympians as well. Sixty-nine have been killed during Israel's ongoing assault, says the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, launched in 2004.  

Besides athletes, sports facilities also have not been spared. Dozens, including gyms, training halls, fields, and stadiums, have been damaged or destroyed since Oct. 7.

A total of 42 facilities have been leveled in Gaza, while seven were destroyed in the West Bank, says the Palestinian Football Association.

Abed pointed out how Israel has destroyed football schools, including the Al-Wahda Academy and the Champions Academy, which "was one of the most promising football projects" in Gaza.

He pointed out how Israel has eradicated talent in football, the most popular sport among Gaza's residents, leaving only one stadium, the Al-Dorra stadium, intact out of the enclave's 10.

Israeli forces have been seizing stadiums in Gaza and turning them into detention centers.

Human rights monitor Euro-Med highlights that the Israeli army turned the Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza City into a detention center "to hold and humiliate hundreds of Palestinians, including children, shown naked and stripped of their clothes in footage published by the Israeli media in December 2023."

A report by the group published in May indicates that facilities bulldozed and destroyed include "300 five-a-side courts, 22 swimming courts, 12 covered sports halls for basketball, volleyball, and handball, and six tennis stadiums.

"Twenty-eight sports and fitness centers have been targeted, damaged, and destroyed."  

Israel's offensive has also caused the death of prominent players in Gaza.

This includes Palestine's first-ever Olympian and flagbearer, Majed Abu Maraheel, who died due to kidney failure in a refugee camp in June.

The 61-year-old Olympic distance runner died as Israel's ongoing blockade of humanitarian assistance left many, including Maraheel, lacking medical treatment and facilities.

Maraheel had competed in the men's 10,000-meter race at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

In January, the Palestinian Olympic football team's coach Hani Al-Mossader was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

The same month, Nagham Abu Samra, a karate champion who was set to participate in the Paris Olympics, died in a hospital in Egypt after succumbing to her injuries.

She had been severely wounded by an Israeli attack that left her with head injuries and led to the amputation of one of her legs.

(...)With hours left until the Paris 2024 Games' opening ceremony, experts are still questioning the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to keep Israel in the tournament.

"Athletes, whether footballers ... whatever the sport is, they don't belong to political factions ... they are targeted and are illegitimate targets for Israeli forces, and this is absolutely prohibited by all international laws and all FIFA regulations," says Abed.

He argued that Israel's actions show that it lacks the Olympic values of peace, tolerance, forgiveness, love, and sportsmanship.

"So, how could Israel even participate in the Olympics?" he asked.

Russia, meanwhile, has been banned from Olympic and FIFA tournaments after it launched its war on Ukraine in 2022, noted Abed, who maintained that Moscow's actions in that conflict were mild compared to the devastation Israel has caused in Gaza.

This "disgraceful stance," he asserts, revealed the hypocrisy of the IOC, as well as the world governing body for football.

The organizers of this year's Olympics have said their decision to keep Israel in the Games while upholding the ban on Russia and Belarus is due to Moscow's annexation of Ukrainian territory, while Tel Aviv has not formally seized territory in Gaza.

Fadi Quran, senior director at US-based rights group Avaaz, said the Olympics and the IOC's current leadership will be remembered for "turning a blind eye to a country committing what the ICJ ruled is a plausible genocide, and said is apartheid."

He was referring to a preliminary ruling by the International Court of Justice that recognized genocide as a plausible risk in Gaza. Israel stands accused of genocide at the top UN court, which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

Quran expects that athletes will protest Israel's presence at the Olympics and fans will boycott events where the Israeli flag is raised.

"Now that the IOC has refused to ban Israel, activists across the world will take action to ensure that the Paris Olympics are branded as the 'Apartheid Olympics,' or 'War Crime Olympics'," he said.

According to Abed, it will take a decade to revive sports in the Gaza Strip.

"The war on Gaza has changed everything. The war on Gaza has killed the dreams of many."

[inuyashaluver]

Hi lovely I love ur stuff 🩷 I have a little request/idea - obviously feel free to ignore it

I was thinking R has a really thick accent (English - either Scouse (Liverpool), Geordie (Newcastle) or West Country (Devon/Somerset/Farmer) or Aussie or something really thick like hard to understand from native speakers let alone anyone else) but R plays in Barca and has a crush on a Spanish player (Maybe Patri? maybe Ona? Maybe Alexia?) and is tryna talk to them more and maybe ask them out but they just get looked at funny and they walk off and she goes to Kiera and Lucy and is like what have I done? Do they all hate me? And [Crush] overheads them and goes round to their house after training and is like I really wanna get to know u, I think you’re really pretty etc but I cannot understand a word that comes out of ur mouth to the point where I am questioning whether it’s English

qué? - alexia putellas

alexia putellas x reader

description: in which your accent proves to be difficult to understand

warnings: LONG!! swearing, misunderstandings, spanish in bold italics

a/n: i love this woman, your honour!! i was writing alexia angst but had to put out the fluff haha!! thank you so much for the love and request, lovely!! ily and enjoy ❤️

⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆

you never thought your accent would get you into trouble but you were entirely wrong. and we’re not talking about trouble like criminal, we’re talking romantically.

—

you’re from liverpool, your thick, scouse accent distinct in your dialect. at home in england, the accent was understood most of the time, with an occasional person asking for clarification about your words but you didn’t mind.

even some of your england teammates had to ask you to repeat yourself occasionally when you got overly excited or stressed, your accent proving to be the hardest to understand at those moments.

you often needed a translator for even native english speakers if you spoke too quickly, lucy and later grace helping out when people were truly confused.

when lucy and keira moved from manchester city, you moved with them, having played in the club for 2 years and desperately wanting a change. and so, when the contract arrived from barcelona for the three of you, you accepted it without a second thought.

you had supported barcelona in liga F, having a huge appreciation for the way the spanish players moved, the quick passes and the goals that came out of nowhere. you were excited to pick up those skills to adapt to your own play.

and through your extensive research, you grew a special appreciation for alexia. in your eyes, alexia was the definition of perfect, not only her football skills, but her as a whole.

you would watch her interviews and videos for ‘research purposes’, claiming it was to practise your spanish. and it was, until you zoned out hearing the gentle hum of alexia’s voice, getting distracted entirely but you weren’t complaining.

when you got caught making heart eyes at your phone during england camp, the teasing was so relentless it wasn’t even funny.

—

“our little (y/n) has a crush on la reina! (the queen)” lucy exclaims in the change room, you immediately turn off your phone and look up at her with an icy glare, only making her smile at you affectionately with a pinch to your cheek that you were quick to swat away.

“you’re not much older than me” you glare, “5 years is 5 years” she shrugs, moving away when you launched an empty bottle at her.

“go on, tell us about your crush” leah smiles, millie and rachel pretend to kiss each other while looking at you and you heat up in the cheeks.

“i’m only watching so i can pick up spanish” you defend, lucy laughs loudly, out of the three transfers, she was definitely the one who picked up the most spanish.

“excuse me, lucia, and everyone in here,” you scoff, “is it such a crime to watch a video of my future captain?” your accent was so heavy at this point, everyone cracked a little smile at you.

“so you were watching videos of alexia then?” leah smirks, you let out a frustrated groan, “leah, shut up man” everyone laughs, the teasing continuing until keira and alessia told everyone to stop.

during the whole of camp, it wasn’t uncommon you got caught looking at photos or videos of alexia, the teasing was so bad you thought you would explode.

—

when the time finally came for you to join barcelona, you were incredibly nervous. the fear of underperforming playing on your mind, only becoming worse at the thought of embarrassing yourself in front of a certain blonde you couldn’t take your mind off.

lucy and keira assured you everything would be fine, but you weren’t convinced, unsure of how you’d react when you finally saw alexia.

when you all walked to the change rooms, it was shocking how welcoming everyone was. hugs and kisses to the cheeks had you feeling so accepted amongst your new team.

and funnily enough, the last person to greet you was alexia, sending you a charming smile that had your stomach erupting with butterflies.

“(y/n), yes? bienvenida! (welcome)” alexia grins, her arms pulling you into a warm hug, her scent enveloping you and making you borderline dizzy.

“(y/n) is a big fan of you” lucy teases as alexia lets you slip from the hug after you mumble a quick hello. alexia gives a surprised smile, looking between a cheeky looking lucy and a sheepish looking you.

“you’re very good, too, I look forward to playing with you,” alexia’s hand moved to give your bicep a gentle squeeze and you swore your heart stopped, your cheeks were tinged with pink and you could barely formulate a sentence.

“yeah, i’m excited to play with ya” you breathe out, you move to your new cubby and get changed into the barcelona kit, feeling at home already even though it was your first day.

due to you busying yourself with avoiding alexia, you missed the way her gaze lingered on you as you changed, she was intrigued by you.

what you didn’t know was alexia had done her own forms of research. she had heard your name countless times in the media, a rising star in the making.

she respected the way you played, a midfielder who wasn’t afraid to take risks but also managed to avoid fouls frequently.

she wanted to get to know you as much as you wanted to get to know her.

—

weeks and months fly by and it was easy to say you felt comfortable amongst the team. your spanish was surprisingly getting better, being able to go through training without a translator most of the time.

the girls reciprocated you well, you’d go to team bonding nights and laugh and joke around with them. it was obvious to everyone except alexia that you were harbouring a crush on the captain.

the ways your eyes would follow her every move with pink cheeks honestly exposed yourself. and what made it harder was that alexia and you were growing closer each day.

—

one day you were chatting with mapi and ingrid, more like you getting teased while you begged them to stop before you were interrupted by a certain someone.

“do you want to be my partner?” alexia questions from behind you suddenly, making you choke on your own spit as she looked at you with a kind smile. “really?” you breathe out, she nods, nodding her head to the pitch for you to follow her.

you’d both been able to converse easily as the months went by, she’d have to ask you to slow down a couple of times when you both talked about something you had in common but it worked.

as you both trained together, you chatted and laughed, talking about random topics.

when you both got to shooting practice, alexia analysed your every move. she would give little nods of approval when you touched the ball, sending you an encouraging smile if you made eye contact, your heart was fluttering around her.

“you should put more weight into your hips when you kick” alexia corrects, you look at her questioningly, she huffs out a little laugh and comes to stand behind you.

her large hands place themselves on your hips and she turns them slightly to the front. her front was pressed against your back and you certainly weren’t breathing. she noticed you tense but chose to ignore it.

“focus here before you kick so it’s stronger” alexia says next to your ear, squeezing your hips gently before letting go of you. “try again, vamos! (let’s go)” she exclaims, you do as she says with her corrections and it was a much better result.

she smiles proudly, “buena niña! (good girl)” she laughs, coming up to you to squeeze your shoulders encouragingly, your cheeks were burning.

the entire team watched the interaction with big grins, ready to tease you for how sheepish you looked.

“gracias (thank you), ale” you scratch the back of your neck with an embarrassed smile, she shakes her head, “it’s nothing, thank me with a goal next game” she jokes, pinching your cheek teasingly before walking off to get some water.

you’re left there in shock, lucy and keira approaching with cheesy grins. “you’re in love” lucy coos, poking your shoulder teasingly while you shielded yourself in a hug from keira.

“i’m so fucking stupid, why can’t i be normal” you groan, keira laughs, her hand rubbing up and down your back. “you’re just shy, which is weird to see because you’re the complete opposite” she laughs, you pull back to throw her a glare.

“it’s cute” lucy chuckles, “i can’t wait to tell everyone about the development” she grins, her and keira share a hearty laugh seeing your face go pale, while you attempted not to scream.

“don’t you fucking dare” you grit out, “i won’t” lucy winks, unfortunately she did and by the time training was over, your phone was blowing up with text messages talking about the interaction.

you looked at lucy with a stone cold glare while she blew you a kiss, alexia watched how angry you were, she could practically feel it radiating off you on the other side of the change room.

“estás bien? (are you okay)” alexia walks up to you, holding a cold drink out to you. you take it after a moment of hesitation, “uh, yeah, sí” you smile, “lucia is annoying you?” alexia grins, looking over at lucy to see her and keira whispering while looking at you. “yes, she’s very annoying” you grumble, your eyebrows furrowing.

alexia smiles fondly at you, her hand moving to your face, her thumb smoothing out the crease between your eyebrows. “wrinkles” she tutts, your breath caught in the back of your throat as you looked up at her.

“are you coming tonight?” she says like she didn’t just make you flatline. she’s talking about a team bonding session at her house. “yeah, i think so” you smile at her, “think or know?” she teases, was she flirting with you?

“know, i’ll be there” you mock, she nods with a pleased expression, “hasta luego, lindura (see you later, cutie)” she winks, moving to grab her bag from her cubby and leave, making sure to look back at you another time with a soft smile before walking out.

you get pulled out of your trance once you hear your phone blowing up again, checking it to see lucy had recorded you watching alexia leave. you throw your head back in frustration but chose to avoid letting the older girl feel your wrath, you were still on a buzz from the thought of alexia flirting with you.

—

when you arrived at alexia’s house, you brought her a bottle of wine with a sheepish grin. when she opened the door for you, she pulled you into the warmest hug, both of you fitting together like a puzzle.

“finalmente! (finally) i was waiting for you!” she grins as she pulls away, taking the wine out of your hands and grabbing one of yours to drag you into the living room where everyone was.

her hand was so warm against yours, soft against your skin and you really didn’t want her to let go. “you look beautiful” alexia smiles before she ushers you to sit down, you barely had the time to tell her how breathtaking she looked, dressed casually but still looking like she could be on the front of a magazine.

you sit next to mapi and she immediately bombards you with questions, “have you kissed yet?” she questions, you slap her knee, “ingrid, your girlfriend is a bully” you huff, ingrid laughs, nodding along with you with an apologetic smile.

everyone was watching a movie while eating, alexia sitting beside you, the two of you would chat back and forth with small giggles and smiles shared between you.

by the time the night was ending, alexia’s arm was resting behind you on the couch, basically over your shoulder while you were in your own little bubble.

when you left that night, you couldn’t stop thinking about all the interactions you had with the catalan, you needed to do something about it. fast.

—

on a match day for barcelona, you decided it was time for you to tell her about your feelings. it was clear you were flirting with each other. confirmed during the game.

in the second half, you managed to get a goal, using the technique alexia had taught you a couple of days prior.

she was the first one to you after, the loud roar of the crowd drowned out when you felt alexia’s strong arms wrapping around your waist.

you both smiled so brightly as she congratulated you, placing you on the ground, giving you an affectionate kiss on the forehead and squeezing your shoulders. this told you everything. it wasn’t just her being friendly, it was alexia making a move.

at the end of the match, the two of you lingered in the middle of the pitch, you were fidgeting so much alexia was worried.

“(y/n)?” she dips her head to make eye contact with you, “estás bien? (are you okay)” you nod, opening your mouth to speak but nothing came out. “take a deep breath” she smiles, a hand on your shoulder offering you comfort but also stressing you out.

“ale” you start, she nods with an encouraging smile, “i really fancy ya, ale, i’ve been wantin’ to tell ya for a while” you blurt out, alexia’s eyebrows furrow, she looks a little confused.

the silence was loud, why hasn’t she said anything back. if this was her rejection, it hurt more than anything she could have verbalised.

“you know what, forget i said anythin’” you run off before she could say anything. “qué? (what)” she was about to ask you to repeat yourself, one - because you were speaking too fast, two - she didn’t know what fancy meant.

you heard her call out for you but you ran into the change room, knowing keira and lucy were in there. “keira!” you yell, “fucking check my pulse!” you shove your arm in her face and she looks at you in shock. only a couple of people were inside, and the ones that were were shocked at how you tumbled into the room.

“jesus, your heart is going so fast” keira says as she presses her fingers to the inside of your wrist. “fuck, why couldn’t you tell me i’m dead and this is a nightmare” you groan, your hands running over your face frustratingly.

“what’s wrong with you?” lucy says as she walks out of the shower to see you in absolute shambles. “everything!” you explain each and every detail and they look at you sympathetically, understanding now why you were so upset.

what you didn’t know was alexia was outside, ear pressed to the door as she heard you explain that you were trying to confess. she feels her stomach tighten, cursing herself for not understanding what you were saying.

“whatever, i’m going home, don’t follow me” you grit, tears pooling at your waterline as you rush out. alexia had moved out of eyeline when she heard you, quickly going into the change room and drilling lucy and keira for your address that they happily gave her with sly grins. happy to know it was all a misunderstanding.

—

that afternoon, you hastily wiped your tears away thinking about alexia. you had misunderstood her intentions clearly, you were disappointed with yourself.

you heard the banging from the front door and groaned, knowing your fellow england teammates were probably on the other side with ice cream and apologetic smiles.

“i told you both not to follow me-” you huff, the door opening to see alexia standing there, a bouquet of bright flowers in hand. “hola (hello)” she smiles, “what are you doing here?” you ask softly, “can i come in?” you nod, moving back a little so she could step inside. she hands you the flowers and you take them with a confused expression.

what type of rejection was this?

“i heard you speaking to lucy and keira before” she starts nervously, both of you walking to the kitchen so you could put the flowers in water, they were beautiful.

“it’s fine if you don’t feel the same” you shrink into yourself, brushing the petals of one of the flowers between your fingers.

“hermosa (beautiful)” she calls out, moving around your counter to stand directly in front of you. “me gustas mucho, y quiero estar contigo (i like you a lot, i want to be with you)” she says earnestly, speaking in her mother tongue and hoping you understood because she was speaking from the heart.

you freeze, each and every word quickly translated in your head. “amor (love), you’re very beautiful and nice but you speak very fast, i did not understand a word you said before” she laughs, you can’t help but laugh too, shaking your head at how fast you fled the situation.

“i’m sorry, ale” you grin, “don’t be” she dismisses, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear, relishing in the blush she just produced on your cheeks.

“me gustas mucho (i like you a lot), alexia” you smile, she gives you a dazzling expression, appreciating how you spoke her mother tongue to her so she really understood this time. “muy bien, preciosa! (very good, precious)” she coos affectionately, her hand cradling your cheek as she directed your eyes to hers.

“we will teach each other, sí?” she grins cheekily, you hum along with her words, “sí”.

she pulls you closer to place a sweet kiss on your lips, your stomach lurching at how soft they were against yours.

you both smile into it as she drew you closer, your arms wrapping around her neck while her free hand came to rest on the small of your back to press you against her.

she pulls away, not without pressing a few more kisses to your lips through the giggles and the small chatter between the two of you.

—

when you both came to training the next day hand in hand, sighs of relief were heard from everyone. lucy whipped out her phone as quickly as she could and sent pictures to the england group chat, your phone blowing up more than ever.

now that the team saw you interact, the teasing somehow got worse every time alexia would kiss you, or even hold your hand.

the pining drove everyone insane but the loved up versions of the two of you were insufferable. you were attached at the hip, just how you and alexia wanted.

⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆

you know the drill, just pretend it’s you xx

liked by keirawalsh and 44,232 others

alexiaputellas: mi niña (my girl)

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yourname: mami

↳ alexiaputellas: i didn’t teach her this

↳ marialeonn16: sureeeee

lucybronze: the most annoying couple ever

↳ yourname: shut up man

↳ leahwilliamsonn: there she is!!

↳ keirawalsh: she went soft but is still a shit head

↳ yourname: @/alexiaputellas bebé! defend me!

↳ alexiaputellas: you are soft

↳ yourname: the betrayal is unreal

[pitchsidestories]

Dancing Through Life II Lucy Bronze x Reader

romantic masterlist | platonic masterlist | word count: 1314

summary: after the training camp you finally got to spend some time alone with your girlfriend.

author's note: hi everyone we hope you'll like the oneshot. Any form of feedback is appreciated. 🫶🏻🫶🏻

disclaimer: everything in this fanfiction is purely fictional and nothing corresponds to reality.

“Finally, home.”, a happy sigh escaped your lips as you stepped inside.

Shortly after you, your girlfriend entered your shared flat. The two of you dropped your bags on the floor at the same time.

A broad grin lit up Lucy’s face: “I can’t wait for our own kitchen, bed and Narla of course.”

You couldn’t help but to notice that the Portuguese sun had brought out her freckles even more, which looked adorable in your eyes.

“And some time for us.”, you added in a delighted tone.

The defender's warm laughter filled the room: “Oh yes, I lost count on how many times we were interrupted during game.”

“Way too often.”, you agreed smiling.

Memories of the England camp came back to you in waves. The first half in the Algarve has remained a fond impression, even if it was equally exhausting. You both didn't plan it, but as the more experienced footballers in the team, the younger players naturally gravitated towards Lucy and you.

At this, Lucy grimaced: “We didn’t have a single minute alone.”

Whenever you two thought you had a moment just for the two of you, Maya, Grace, Lauren, Aggie or Jess came. The time as a couple was cut short between their intervention, the training drills and the Nations League games.

And yet you were grateful for the pictures the young Manchester United captain took at the beach, the picturesque sunsets forever captured on film.

“True.”, you said quietly.

One quick glance later, an excited West Highland Terrier ran out of the bedroom and wagged its tail excitedly to greet you.

Immediately Lucy got down on her knees, the pain forgotten at the sight of her beloved dog, whom she began to cuddle: “Hello, Narla. We missed you too.”

“Very much.”, you admitted and joined in the cuddling. While Narla pressed wet kisses onto your face, which you tried to escape with a laugh.

Smirking, Lucy remarked: “She missed you too.”

“I can tell.”, you giggled.

More seriously, your girlfriend looked up at you and asked you a question that made your stomach growl:” Are you hungry?”

“Hungry? More like starving.”, you replied amusedly, placing a hand dramatically on your empty stomach.

Determined, she slapped her thighs before slowly standing up, the intense weeks having left their mark: “I’ll cook.”

“That's like music to our ears, isn't it, Narla?”, you winked at the small Westie who seemed to agree with you on this point. With a quick flick of the hand, you connected your mobile phone to the speakers and the first harmonious tones rang out within your four walls.

Lucy watched as the little dog wagged her tail with excitement.

“I think she agrees.”, she smirked.

“Oh yes, clearly a yes from her.”, you laughed, petting Narla.

“Absolutely.”

Lucy opened the fridge, taking ingredients out and got to work. You studied every movement with curious excitement. Whatever she touched, it promised to be a delicious meal.

“What are you cooking, Chef Lucy?”, you asked innocently.

She turned to you, smug as ever: “It’s a surprise.”

“Sounds amazing.”

“It will be.”

A delicious smell filled the kitchen within minutes, making you almost as impatient has Narla who sat in front of Lucy, hoping that she would drop something.

You realised that you were no better than your dog when you got up and snuck up to Lucy. You distracted her by wrapping your arms around her waist and inconspicuously grabbed a spoon full of sauce to taste.

“Hmm, delicious.”, you hummed, deliberately ignoring your girlfriends protests.

Lucy rolled her eyes with a gentle smile: “Hey, it’s not done yet.”

You blinked at her with puppy eyes: “Sorry.”

Lucy opened her mouth, about to playfully scold you as she always did but nothing came out. She paused.

It took you a few seconds until you realised that she was listing to the music.

“That’s our song!”, she announced suddenly.

“Oh, you recognised it?”

“Of course.”

The food on the stove was suddenly forgotten.

You studied Lucys face, her eyes softened.

“Do you remember when it first became our song?”

“I do.”, she nodded.

You both stood there, remembering how this song played whenever you met. At every bar, every restaurant and every shop. Your friends used to play it at parties too because they knew it was a safe way to get you two on the dance floor. You hadn’t actively listened to that song in a while.

“It’s a nice memory, dont you think?”

Lucy didn’t reply. Instead, she reached for your arms and pulled you in.

“Dance with me.”

You laughed in surprise: “What? In the kitchen?”

“Of course. Where else?”, she said and started swaying you to the rhythm of the music.

“Okay.”, you finally agreed.

You gave in, fully moving your body in sync to hers. Her hands rested on your waist as you stepped and turned, your hands lingered on her shoulders. It was easy to follow each other’s movements.

You stared into your girlfriends’ eyes and a pleasant warmth spread through your body. Your heartbeat sped up. It was almost like falling in love all over again.

“We should do that more often.”, you smiled at her.

A mischievous smile played on Lucy’s lips: “Dancing?”

“Yes. Although the dancing sessions with the team during camp were fun too.”, you admitted with a wink.

The defender couldn't help bursting out in a hearty laugh: “I wouldn’t count that as dancing.”

“No and how would you call this here?”, you asked teasingly.

“This? That’s called cooking.”, she replied with a cheeky grin.

It was only now that you noticed the bubbling on the hob, you had both been too engrossed in dancing beforehand.

“Oh my god the food!”, you exclaimed.  

Unlike you, Lucy remained calm and waved away your worries: “Don’t worry, I’ve got everything under control.”

Despite her assurances, you opened the window to let in some fresh air. “Are you sure?”, you questioned.  

“Yeah, you know I don’t play when it comes to food.”

You knew that she prided herself on being a good cook and that when something like this happened, it was in the right hands. Slowly you began to relax again as you watched her put the finishing touches to the food with practised grips.

Whilst doing so, you couldn't help chuckling at a memory: “Yes, it's a bit of a shame you don't wear glasses anymore, they looked funny when they got cloudy from the hot steam.”

“You know what? I don’t miss that at all.”, Lucy shook her head in amusement. The defender had to worry too often that her contact lenses would fall out during a game or that she would lose her glasses in a strange hotel room.

Only sometimes, on a long day, did the older woman caught herself longing for poorer eyesight, where she would rather not see so sharply because the world had lost its softness with it.

While you knew how her answer came about, you'll love your friend's glasses forever because you met her for the first time with them on her nose: “I thought you might say that.”

“Yeah, I can finally see what I’m doing.”

“Dinner’s ready?”

Lucy confirmed it with a simple yes.

“Perfect, I’ll set the table.”, you announced satisfied. Afterwards you lit some candles and dimmed the overhead lightning to create a cozier atmosphere.

“Romantic. I like that.”, Lucy remarked as she brought the cooked meal, which already smelled heavenly, to the table.

With a knowing smile you responded: “Oh, I know you do.”

“It’s finally just us.”, your girlfriend said.

Quickly, you added: “Us plus Narla.”

“Exactly.”, she grinned.

After you had taken the first bite and absorbed everything, you realised: ”It’s perfect.”

“I agree.”, Lucy hummed.

One thing was for certain, there was no one you would rather dance through life with than her.

gif source: https://www.tumblr.com/glimmerofawesome/691333988304977921?source=share

[whitehartlane]

carragher insinuating that afcon isn’t a major tournament and then scoffing when being corrected on sky sports who then removed the clip from youtube loooool the disrespect towards non european football is genuinely institutional. and people are jumping in to defend him as well saying that wasn’t his point and that afcon doesn’t have the same pedigree as the euros or the world cup ‘hence why no african country has won the world cup.’ be serious! african nations have produced so many top footballers with a mere fraction of the facilities (especially west) european countries have. legitimately have a day off man

[brandileigh2003]

Wolfstar as Athletes fic recs: let me know what I missed and feel free to self rec! If you like these, make sure to show love to the authors

•The gold of your eyes is worth more then all of my medals by lucigoo89

•Sweater weather by @lumosinlove (156k) hockey.

•The Players Secret - by @wrapped-up (51k) soccer

•currents by lunchbucket (109k) swimming

•At the Healing Edge of Broken by @heartofspells (191k) Sirius plays football, remus is pt.

•i carry it in my heart by @wolfpadx (94k) football, and platonic moonwater

•clear eyes, full hearts (can't lose either way) by @greyeyedmonster-18 (61k) American football- Friday Night Lights inspired

•Sometimes We Stumble by SunMoonStar60 (32k) former Olympics gymnasts, coaching

•Black Diamonds and Moonlit Snow by @iamafullyrealizedcreation (65k) Sirius is a skier

•Date me, Remus Lupin by @her-smile-forges-galaxies _smile_forges_galaxies (117k WIP) Sirius pov artist, Remus plays basketball

•Pas de Deux in the Upper West Side by wilteddaisy (taotu) (30k) ballet

-on my tbr or recs from others:

•chéri, darling, and other terms of endearment by Siriusly_Reggie_13 (wip 7chs/?) hockey

•Shoulder to Shoulder Swoops (83k) Rugby

•Bird Set Free by @mollymarymarie (70k) Remus is figure skater, Sirius Coach, Yuri on ice

•Hey, Sharpshooter by @tortoisebore (199k) figure skating and basketball

•Lionheart by moonlightdalliance (134k WIP) rugby

•What A Game by @sliebman10 (15k) baseball

•Match Point by billspaid (13k) tennis

•The Beard by MannixMind (23k)figure skater sirius and remus plays basketball

Jegulus main:

•Kill your darlings by MesserMoon @sophsicle (303k) hockey (there is plenty of wolfstar and a deaf remus, my beloved)

•On the ice (there’s warmth between us) by hallyticket (45k) figure skating and hockey, moonwater friendship. Lots of wolfstar, and chronically ill Remus.

@wolfstarlibrarian is awesome and has a couple lists here and here

New additions:

•Petit pas by Curiosities (rec'd by lavenderhaze) ballet

[sudden-stops-kill]

air force | army | navy