15/7 - I ₿ought A Football Club

“As long as I stay alive, I will get this club into the Premier League. Within two decades.”

Peter McCormack, Bedford’s ‘budget Ryan Reynolds’, is on a mission to take his local team all the way to the Premier League ⚽️

When he bought Bedford FC in 2021, they were in the tenth tier, and unknown outside the town. 

After rebranding them as Real Bedford, securing investment from the Winklevoss twins, and internationalising his business model, the Bitcoin guru has achieved back-to-back promotions for his club - despite having zero experience in professional football.

How has he done it? With a mix of chutzpah, arrogance, planning and perseverance… as he explains to Olly in this compelling, funny and insightful interview.

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Meanwhile, in in a French-flavoured edition of The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the trends taking Paris by storm, including Loop earplugs, androgynous fashion, and, erm, a giant croissant 🥐

Can French chef Philippe Conticini’s coffee shops conquer Britain?

Will London’s trend for hipster Pétanque spread across the country?

And what does the French election tell us about the City hosting the Olympics - via Simon Kuper’s new book?

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox chomps down on an English culinary classic, and asks if, in the age of the hook-up app, casual sex can transcend perceptions of being transactional and meaningless 🏩 

Is it possible to find a ‘vanilla’, non-kinky partner, who isn’t seeking a long-term relationship?

Amongst the possible solutions… seemingly niche apps like Feeld and Fab Swingers; Plenty of Fish, who have banned photo filters; and sex positive app Pure.

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Finally, music this month comes from lo-fi American popstress Clairo, and her 70s-influenced Summer single, Sexy To Someone from her new album, ‘Charm’ 📀

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Posted on July 10, 2024 and filed under Season Fifteen.