“Nearly everything possible has been done to spoil this game: the heavy financial interests;... the absurd publicity given to every feature of it by the Press; ... but the fact remains that it is not yet spoilt, and it has gone out and conquered the world."J.B. Priestley in English Journey (referring to football), published in 1934.”

“Like its politicians and its wars, society has the teenagers it deserves.”

“No matter how piercing and appalling his insights, the desolationcreeping over his outer world, the lurid lights and shadows of his innerworld, the writer must live with hope, work in faith”

“During dinner at the Dersinghams in "Angel Pavement"..."Do you ever watch rugger, Golspie?" Mr Dersingham demanded down the table."What, rugby? Haven't see a match for years," replied Mr Golspie. "Prefer the other kind when I do watch one."Major Trape raised his eyebrows, "What, you a soccah man? Not this professional stuff? Don't tell me you like that.""What's the matter with it?""Oh, come now! I mean, you can't possibly --I mean it's a dirty business, selling fellahs for money and so on, very unsporting.”

“But the point is, now, at this moment, or any moment, we're only cross-sections of our real selves. What we really are is the whole stretch of ourselves, all our time, and when we come to the end of this life, all those selves, all our time, will be us - the real you, the real me. And then perhaps we'll find ourselves in another time, which is only another kind of dream.”

“To say that these men paid their shillings to watch twenty-two hirelings kick a ball is merely to say that a violin is wood and catgut, that Hamlet is so much paper and ink.”

“One of the delights beyond the grasp of youth is that of Not Going. Not to have an invitation for the dance, the party, the picnic, the excursion is to be diminished. To have an invitation and then not to be able to go -- oh cursed spite! Now I do not care the rottenest fig whether I receive an invitation or not. After years of illusion, I finally decided I was missing nothing by Not Going. I no longer care whether I am missing anything or not.”