Brilliant

(via email from Jakob)

Also available on itunes!

A Phoenix Rises...

Go here.

Now!

A reader writes ...

"Hi, did you abandon this site :( ?"

Well, let's call it a semi-permanent hiatus, until DishNetwork and GolTV come to their senses.

Day 37. Still no sign of land.

Well, channel 407 has dropped off Dish completely, it's the night before La Liga starts, and the GolTV website doesn't foresee any compromise in the near future. I'm not feeling hopeful about this.

Can anyone out there do my job for me this weekend? Hit the comments...

Mensaje Importante

I still got nothing. Anyone still out there?

Like a xylophone hammer all over your consciousness

First, Brian at The Run of Play, one of my favourite blogs, featured Ray Hudson as the subject of his Tuesday Portrait, er, last week (hey, it's summer, gimme a break).

Second, Dish Network has dropped GolTV. Guess where I get my GolTV? Yup. Dish blame "GolTV’s decision to impose unreasonable contract terms". The Gaffer has a source who says that Dish want to lower the fee they are paying GolTV per subscriber. I'm hoping one side or the other will blink (preferably Dish, but I suspect they have the stronger bargaining position) before the European seasons start. If not, I'm in big trouble; for some reason, Mrs Hudsonland isn't going to give up her Dish.

Off-season Housekeeping

I think Ray mentioned a couple of times in recent broadcasts that he would be heading back to Britain for the summer - hope you enjoy the break, Ray, and come back refreshed and ready for next season. Until then we have Euro2008 and endless transfer speculation to keep us occupied. And some MLS if we get really desperate.

This is as good a time as any to thank the 23,000 or so visitors the blog has had over the last year, especially the 273 who appear to read this about as often as I update it. I was getting a little tired (and lazy) towards the end of this season, so thanks for sticking with me.

Adam at This Is American Soccer did a good interview with Ray recently which you fine people can read at this link here. He also has another interesting interview with the GolTV COO here.

In my non-Ray Hudson-centric life, I've been playing with Twitter for a few months and have found it to be an interesting tool in many ways, so I've set up a Hudsonland account which you should be able to see at the top of the sidebar to the right. I think I'll use it to micro-blog things which wouldn't otherwise warrant a blog post, such as far-fetched excuses for taking two weeks to get around to watch matches.

Other than that, I have no plans for major changes around here in the off-season, primarily because I can't be arsed to think about it. Hey, give me a break, it's too hot.

Y'all enjoy your summer.

Roma vs Internazionale, May 24th

That is an absolutely Caberet goal and Mexes is Liza Minnelli.
Ray Hudson, half-time

Real Madrid vs Levante, May 18th

Look at the height that he gets on it to get it over the wall, and the accuracy. The curvaceousness is better than Dolly Parton...
Ray Hudson, 9:41 2nd

Wolfsburg vs Bayern Munich, May 4th

Ray Hudson likes beer.

Atlético Madrid vs Recreativo Huelva, May 3rd

You know who wears the pants in that family.
Ray Hudson
He wears the padded shorts.
Phil Schoen
You sympathise severely, as well, Phil. You being in the same predicament, my friend. Giselle, little Peruvian diamond... Gone very quiet over there, Phil...
Ray Hudson, 17:40 1st

Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao, April 27th

You're not gonna get statistics out for the rest of this season and say that there's a better goalkeeper in La Liga, are you Phil? Because if you are I'm going to hit you in your big head.
Ray Hudson, 34:10 2nd

AWOL again

I know posting has been lighter than usual for a few weeks due to various factors (ok, work) but now I have house-guests for the next week or so, so it's about to drop to zero or thereabouts for a little while.

Consider this your open thread for registering Ray's rhetorical ramblings. Or just let Catherine-Lucia do all the work...

Valencia vs Getafe, April 16th

Copa del Ray! Thanks to Eric for the reminder.

Ecstasy for Koeman and the boys with the bats on their shirts, they come out like bats out of hell. This game rocks and rolls at the start, it never let up. But it's Valencia's bats that draw first blood. Vampires they are here tonight, and he's hungry for blood...
Ray Hudson, 3:51 1st

Typical ladies, there, chatting away, ba-ba-ba-ba-ba. There's a game on!
Ray Hudson, 13:11 1st

Atlético Madrid vs Real Betis, April 19th

This is pure trail-blazing power-hit by Kun. There ain't much about him, but there ain't much about a barrel of TNT either. This is a powder-keg hit from the Argentine man...
Ray Hudson, 25:09 1st

There's no question here, that's fully intended, he's got his target locked in, Xisco, and he goes calypso!
Ray Hudson
Could have sworn it was going to be disco. But anyway...
Phil Schoen, 4:27 2nd

Blogiversary

One year since this. It seemed such a harmless idea at the time.

Recreativo Huelva vs Barcelona, April 12th

He's going disco in a big way after this one. And I mean a big way. This is Barry White disco, this hit. And let the music play, Barcelona. What a scorcher by Samuel, brilliant control, this is all deadly technique. This is practice ground hitting, but not for Samuel Eto'o, because come show time the big man gets up and dances like Fred Astaire...
Ray Hudson, 45:50 2nd

This is a Glenn Close finish, Phil. Just when you think she's a goner, she lurches up and she sinks the knife into you...
Ray Hudson, post-game

Barcelona vs Getafe, April 6th

He likes that service. That's better than Mercedes-Benz gets...
Ray Hudson, 18:05 1st

Call the exorcist! Unbelievable! It seems like there's a spell over Barcelona and an exorcist is required in the building...
Ray Hudson, 68:36 2nd

Real Mallorca vs Real Madrid, April 5th

Arjen Robben skips the light fandango, does cartwheels across the floor. Wesley Sneijder comes in, he's like Ming the Merciless, ruthless...
Ray Hudson, half-time

This is a absolute hit out of the blue for poor Bernd Schuster. I was saying that midfield is developing holes the size of black holes in space. They were falling apart. Again, the ball's laid off, nobody's staying with this run. Valero curls it in, heavenly, past Casillas. Ibagaza leads it to touch off by Arango, Valero steers this ball with big seeing eyes. This isn't just fly's eye vision, this is mutant fly's eye vision...
Ray Hudson, 72:01 2nd

Not saying you're right or wrong but you know that the microscope...
Phil Schoen
No, I'm saying I'm right.
Ray Hudson, 91:42, 2nd

Real Madrid vs Sevilla, March 30th

Wow! What a payback! How do you like those potatoes?
Ray Hudson
Two. Nine. Zero. For Raúl. Number two all-time for Real Madrid, and they've taken the lead again.
Phil Schoen
Once more Raúl Madrid comes out and answers in the most pernicious way. Sends his kisses up to the crowd, and it comes flooding back down. Wesley Sneijder turns, sees it, dishes it over the top, beautiful ball in, and then again, all desire, all hunger, all Raúl. Beautiful control, wouldn't be laid off, wouldn't be pushed off, spins, capitalises, disco in the stands. Bernd, give us a smile.
Ray Hudson, 38:45 1st

Raúl, he is cool as ice, and he pours lovely Johnny Walker over the cubes. Beautiful. Weren't done yet. This was probably the most romantic flash of inspiration by Real Madrid. Superlative vision, and Higauín arrives by stealth to convert Guti's piece of jewelry.
Ray Hudson, post-game