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In The Stands

  • newUEFA Champions League Last 16 1st-Legs: What In The Stands Learnt
    So the first-leg of the much anticipated UEFA Champions League Last 16 ties have come and gone and having spent hours glued to our TV sets the footy nerds at In The Stands pick out 5 things we learnt. 1. Arsenal Are No Longer An ‘Elite’ European…
    - 3 hours ago, 23 Feb 12, 1:17am -
  • newDefeat To Marseille Leaves Inter Reeling & Ranieri On The Verge Of Sack
    Andre Ayew scored a 93rd minute header to give Marseille a precious 1-0 win over Inter Milan at the Stade Velodrome leaving coach Claudio Ranieri fighting for his job. In a tight and edgy encounter, both sides struggled to muster up any significant c…
    - 3 hours ago, 23 Feb 12, 1:06am -
  • Carlos Tevez Apologizes To Manchester City
    Carlos Tevez has issued a public apology to Manchester City six months after the striker was exiled from the club following a bust up with coach Roberto Mancini. The Argentine issued the apology to the club after a lengthy meeting on Tuesday night wi…
    - 1 day ago, 21 Feb 12, 10:05pm -
  • What Ever Happened To?…Vegard Heggem
    Football is built on memories. it’s those footballers we grow up with that truly define the way we watch and enjoy football throughout our lives. But where are they now?… During a daily internet browse, sodden with nostalgia to an extend that I r…
    - 2 days ago, 21 Feb 12, 8:00am -
  • 10 Strange Premier League Transfers
    Since the Premier League formed in 1992, there have been thousands of players coming in and out of the various clubs over the past 20 years. Some transfers work out spectacularly and some flop but most are made with the best of intentions. However, s…
    - 2 days ago, 20 Feb 12, 5:57pm -
  • 5 Reasons Why Napoli Will Beat Chelsea At The San Paolo
    Napoli host Chelsea at the San Paolo in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last 16 tie with In The Stands making the case that a home win is a certainty. In a match which at the beginning of this season’s Champions League would not have c…
    - 3 days ago, 20 Feb 12, 11:55am -

Girl On A Terrace

  • Girl On A Terrace featured on The Guardian
    If you're a regular reader of my blog then you may remember that at the start of the season I contributed to The Guardian Season Preview, well as we approach the middle of the season, I was asked once again to give my half way opinion on our season s…
    - 63 days ago, 22 Dec 11, 1:58pm -
  • Blog question & answer
    I'm often asked to answer a few Q&As for other people's football blogs. One of those was by @glosred30 - unfortunately he decided to close down his blog recently, so I thought I'd share this on my blog insead - enjoy!Name: SarahAge: 26Where are y…
    - 67 days ago, 18 Dec 11, 1:01pm -
  • Spotland Stadium from an away fan's view
    Yesterday at Rochdale V Yeovil, home fans were given the opportunity to watch the match from our away stand Willbutts Lane by simply swapping your season ticket. Season ticket holders were also given a free ticket for someone else.So I decided to ta…
    - 67 days ago, 18 Dec 11, 12:24pm -
  • Rochdale V Chesterfield matchday programme contribution
    So, for those that are interested, here is my contribution to the Rochdale V Chesterfield matchday programme, hopefully you'll enjoy! If you don't know, I have a page in every official programme for the 2011/12 football season, so I shall be addin…
    - 72 days ago, 13 Dec 11, 12:57pm -
  • Gary Jones' testimonial dinner
    So a couple of weekends ago I was among some of the lucky Rochdale fans who managed to get tickets to Gary Jones' testimonial dinner. If you aren't aware who he is, he's our captain and has now made over 500 appearances for the club. If there's a def…
    - 83 days ago, 1 Dec 11, 7:27pm -
  • Rochdale V Colchester matchday programme contribution
    So, for those that are interested, here is my contribution to the Rochdale V Colchester matchday programme, hopefully you'll enjoy! If you don't know, I have a page in every official programme for the 2011/12 football season, so I shall be adding…
    - 91 days ago, 24 Nov 11, 1:00pm -

Phil McNulty - BBC

  • FA Cup is alive and well in Stevenage
    At The Lamex StadiumFrom the moment Harry Redknapp arrived at the Lamex Stadium to the applause of Stevenage supporters and high fives from a man trapped inside a giant bear's outfit, this was a day with an old-fashioned FA Cup feel about it.The…
    - 3 days ago, 19 Feb 12, 8:44pm -
  • Suarez misses chance to move on
    At Old TraffordThe romantics hoped Luis Suarez would end it with a handshake. The flaw in this theory is that, at least between Manchester United and Liverpool, the age of romance is long since dead.In truth not much romance exists anyway, and cert…
    - 11 days ago, 11 Feb 12, 9:25pm -
  • Wembley feels Redknapp's presence
    At WembleyHarry Redknapp may have been in his trademark pose, conducting interviews out of an open car window many miles away - but in spirit he was almost in the room with the Football Association's delegation at Wembley.Fabio Capello's decision…
    - 13 days ago, 9 Feb 12, 5:48pm -
  • New boss, new England?
    As Fabio Capello clears his desk at Wembley, the Italian's successor as England coach will discover that he has left a congested in-tray behind him.Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is at the front of a short queue of contenders to replace Capello f…
    - 14 days ago, 8 Feb 12, 9:36pm -
  • Suarez makes return but Liverpool continue to misfire
    At AnfieldHarry Redknapp could not make it but Fabio Capello did. Luis Suarez, the man all Liverpool supporters came to see, arrived late but still had enough time for another brush with authority and headlines.The stories and sub-plots proved more…
    - 16 days ago, 7 Feb 12, 8:05am -
  • Old habits die hard for Manchester United
    At Stamford BridgeThe great old champions often play from memory in moments of crisis, recalling the spirit that brought success to defy the odds and defeat. It all came flooding back to Manchester United for 40 minutes at Chelsea.If Manchester Cit…
    - 17 days ago, 5 Feb 12, 7:36pm -

Ghost Goal

  • Appointing a football manager? Forget the interview

    - 6 days ago, 17 Feb 12, 3:38pm -
  • Mick in context – a look at McCarthy’s Wolves reign
    by Adam Bate To put Mick McCarthy’s Wolverhampton Wanderers reign into perspective you need to go much further back than its beginning in 2006. You need to go back to 1989 – the year that Wolves won the old Division … Continue reading →
    - 9 days ago, 13 Feb 12, 8:57pm -
  • What is success for Liverpool?
    by Adam Bate What a return it has been for Kenny Dalglish. Only Cardiff City now stand in the way of Liverpool lifting the Carling Cup at Wembley later this month and thus securing the club’s first trophy in six … Continue reading →
    - 16 days ago, 7 Feb 12, 12:20pm -
  • Anelka, Drogba and the Shenhua Revolution
    by Andrew Crawford Having even the remotest interest in Shanghai Shenhua should probably come with a health warning. When I die a decade prematurely, blame it on the side from the Hongkou stadium for weakening my heart and badly damaging … Continue…
    - 31 days ago, 23 Jan 12, 12:25pm -
  • Pippo Inzaghi needs to beat the odds again
    by Adam Bate Carlos Tevez’s move to AC Milan may yet happen. It may not. But the mere fact it is being discussed would indicate Filippo Inzaghi’s hopes of winning back his place in Milan’s Champions League squad let alone the first … Contin…
    - 42 days ago, 12 Jan 12, 3:36pm -

Must Read Soccer

  • Barcelona Burger King
    Pax Barcelona reigns -- but it's a reign, perhaps, more akin to the Roman Empire than Alexander the Great, crushing us into compliance "within a prison of engineered perfection," lacking a human element to fall in love with. "For this consumer there…
    - , 29 May 11, 4:30pm -
  • What Chance Have Minnows Got Now?
    Just nine years after Wimbledon's club was stolen with the permission of the FA, AFC Wimbledon have finally punched the FA back with promotion to the Football League. But perhaps the sweetest-seeming story in football this year is really the product…
    - , 23 May 11, 4:17am -
  • Why Pray for Liverpool?
    Prayer and elite sport require the same kind of discipline -- a daily practice that demands perseverance, even when it seems so not worth it. But isn't it absurd to pray for your team to win? "The point lies not in God's partisan enthusiasms or capri…
    - , 20 May 11, 4:02am -
  • The Soft Homophobia of Women’s Soccer Coverage
    Virtually unnoted: The Nigerian women's national team has been purged of all its lesbian players...after which it was featured on FIFA's website for the upcoming Women's World Cup. While male gay athletes stay in the closet, the media's homophobia do…
    - , 20 May 11, 4:01am -
  • Belodedici the Treasonous
    The story of the only man to win the European Cup twice for Eastern European sides reads like an Alan Furst novel -- river crossings in fog to avoid border patrols, an unlikely friendship with Ceausescu's son, a 10-year sentence in his native Romania…
    - , 19 May 11, 4:02am -
  • Bodice Ripper
    The first MLS Cascadia Derby is over, but not before drawing almost every US fan's (and soccer writer's) attention away from the USWNT-Japan match in Columbus -- indicative of the plummeting fortunes of the US women's game these days in this country,…
    - , 18 May 11, 4:02am -

Left Back In The Changing...

  • We are Rangers
    When I was a teenager I spent most of my school holidays in Moniaive, a small, picturesque town in Dumfries and Galloway. It is a beautiful place and I would commend it to you all. It is in that little bit of Scotland that people speed through on the…
    - 4 days ago, 19 Feb 12, 12:22am -
  • The Professor
    As a tribute to AC Milan's thumping of Arsenal a little video clip of one of the most under-rated players of the last 20 years: Clarence Seedorf.Not only was he almost perfect technically, not only has he been phenomenally successful over the course…
    - 7 days ago, 15 Feb 12, 9:47pm -
  • 'Arry
    Most English managers leave the post with a defining, specific heartache - a heartache that not defines their entire time in charge but also themselves.For Fabio Capello, one of the most gifted managers ever to wear the England manager's sheepskin co…
    - 12 days ago, 11 Feb 12, 12:16am -
  • Big Jan: Fat men can dance
    A little trip down nostalgia avenue tonight.I've covered this before but how often do you see a goal better than this?How often do you see a goal better than that scored by a man who knows his way around a doughnut?Tonight, I want to focus on a play…
    - 15 days ago, 7 Feb 12, 11:53pm -
  • Is Howard Webb biased?
    The only answer to the question posed in the title is ''No''.I do not believe that Howard Webb is biased in favour of Manchester United or biased against any of the other teams in the league. One can question his competence and can do so with no litt…
    - 17 days ago, 5 Feb 12, 11:35pm -
  • What to do with Phil Jones?
    I was intrigued by this piece by Life's a Pitch focusing on arguably the most important positional question in English football over the next ten years: What do we do with Phil Jones? England have had ball-playing centre-backs before but we look ar…
    - 17 days ago, 5 Feb 12, 5:24pm -

Two Footed Tackle

  • TFT Podcast Episode 93: Capello, the winter break and women’s football
    With England picking over the pieces of Fabio Capello’s resignation as manager, Chris, Gary and Ryan look at whether the Italian’s resignation could have been avoided and what the FA need to consider when appointing a new manager. Plus, with the…
    - 13 days ago, 10 Feb 12, 8:38am -
  • TFT Podcast Episode 92: Francis Duku and Joe Vines
    For this week’s podcast, Gary and Chris were honoured to be joined by Francis Duku and Joe Vines, two well-respected Ryman League defenders and the brains behind the soon-to-be-launched non-league support service Our Game, for a non-league football…
    - 27 days ago, 27 Jan 12, 8:54am -
  • TFT Podcast Episode 91: Happy New Year!
    Our first podcast of 2012 sees Ryan Keaney in driving seat for the first time with Gary Andrews otherwise engaged. Sadly we are also without guest Jamie Cutteridge, who failed a late fitness test. So it’s Ryan, Chris Nee and James Appell taking foo…
    - 41 days ago, 13 Jan 12, 9:27am -
  • TFT Podcast Episode 90: Christmas Quiz Special
    With Christmas coming, we open up TFT’s doors to our customary end-of-year special. But this one’s a bit different. Yes, we thought we’d attempt to go all quiz show and hauled in two reluctant teams to test their footballing knowledge in a seri…
    - 70 days ago, 15 Dec 11, 1:54pm -
  • TFT Podcast Episode 89: Tim Morgan
    When we arranged for Tim Morgan to join Gary Andrews and Chris Nee for Episode 89 of the podcast, we did so with the intention of using the two Welshmen present to discuss the bright future of the Welsh football team. That proposed discussion took a…
    - 83 days ago, 2 Dec 11, 9:18am -
  • TFT Podcast Episode 88: Rocco Cammisola, Jon Fadugba and Chris Oakley
    It’s a truly international flavour on this week’s podcast, as we take in the Euro 2012 playoffs, Ligue 1, Serie A, MLS and, er, Newcastle. With Chris Nee away on Tooting & Mitcham duty, the NOPA-nominated Chris Oakley from the Sound Of Football d…
    - 97 days ago, 18 Nov 11, 1:45pm -

Twohundredpercent

  • George Rolls Unites Kettering And Weymouth In Suspicion
    How are the supporters of a football club to judge a new owner? Perhaps the answer to that is the question of how desperate for a new owner they are, but even in the most extreme of circumstances, one common theme of recent years has been that suppor…
    - 2 days ago, 21 Feb 12, 8:08am -
  • European Championship Stories: 1980 – The Decline & Fall Of English Football
    On the twelfth of June 1980, England played Belgium in the finals of the European Championships – their first match in the finals of a major tournament for ten years. It turned out to be a match that acted as a barometer for the state of the game i…
    - 3 days ago, 20 Feb 12, 12:10pm -
  • The Monday Morning Timewaster Project
    Ah, Monday morning. A time of hope, rebirth and… sitting at work, staring out of the window and wishing the next five days away. Of course, the internet has made this task  a little easier, and we’re going to each Monday morning from now on with…
    - 3 days ago, 20 Feb 12, 9:31am -
  • Non-League Videos Of The Week: 19/02/2012
    After a couple of weeks off, we can finally get back to some matches from this weekend’s football and we have a variety of competitions for you today. First up, we have a match from this weekend’s FA Vase between Whitley Bay, who have won the tou…
    - 3 days ago, 19 Feb 12, 9:16pm -
  • Match Of The Week: Liverpool 6-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
    There’s history here, you know. When Liverpool were the kings of English and European football, Brighton & Hove Albion had a curious habit of being able to dump them out of the FA Cup. They did it at Anfield on the way to Wembley in 1983, and then…
    - 3 days ago, 19 Feb 12, 6:54pm -
  • Rangers’ Nightmare Week
    This week, Alex Salmond held discussions with David Cameron about the terms of a referendum on independence, and Cameron launched his own pleas in defence of the Union. It’s a story that has been dominating the headlines for weeks in Scotland – n…
    - 5 days ago, 18 Feb 12, 9:42am -

Who Ate All The Pies

The Cynical Challenge

  • World Poetry Day
    I offered them to ITV.com but they weren't interested. I called up Sepp Blatter to see if he fancied using them on his FIFA election campaign literature - to no avail. Here are three football-themed haikus to mark 21 March. No doubt these will come b…
    - , 21 Mar 11, 6:56pm -
  • Photoblog: Giants vs Eagles, New Meadowlands
    Back in September, knowing I was visiting New York over Christmas, I decided to investigate whether there would be any sport worth watching while I was there. It turned out that NFL side the New York Giants would be playing the Philadelphia Eagles at…
    - , 6 Jan 11, 11:54pm -
  • A Russian World Cup in 2018: Some premature Q&As
    Much as it seems as though the ink has only just dried on the FIFA ExCom ballot papers, and the tears have dried on the faces of many England fans (okay, sorry for the melodrama), it's time to come to terms with the fact that in less than eight years…
    - , 2 Dec 10, 8:37pm -
  • We're not singing any more
    Last week I penned some thoughts on the decline of English terrace culture for the superb whoateallthepies.tv. Here it is in full:“You’re not singing any more.” It’s the classic football catcall, the terrace version of cuckolding. The messag…
    - , 29 Nov 10, 2:05pm -
  • A small appeal
    Some readers may know that I'm a fairly regular guest on the twofootedtackle podcast. In fact, can I urge you to listen to this week's podcast, featuring myself and French football connoisseur Chris Oakley - which includes subjects as disparate as th…
    - , 19 Nov 10, 4:27pm -
  • Zenit fans stand alongside their Serb "brothers"
    A butterfly flaps its wings in Tokyo and a storm rises in California. Or perhaps that should be: a Serbian man dons a balaclava in Genoa, and four Hajduk Split supporters are beaten up in St Petersburg.Eastern European politics is an immensely comple…
    - , 21 Oct 10, 3:40pm -

The Football Express

2nd Yellow

  • Touring With The Stones; Following Wealdstone FC
    This article is from 2nd Yellow - Football Blog | World Soccer & Premier League Football2nd Yellow is pleased to have Wealdstone fan Roge Slater writing a regular column on the ups and downs of supporting the Stones, members of the Isthmian Premier…
    - 3 days ago, 20 Feb 12, 9:00am -
  • Administration Again, But Portsmouth Fans Savour a Victory
    This article is from 2nd Yellow - Football Blog | World Soccer & Premier League FootballThe media will doubtless focus on the entry into administration and the subsequent 10 point deduction, the court's decision on the identity of the administrator…
    - 5 days ago, 17 Feb 12, 11:19pm -
  • Darlington & Kettering – Hope is Important
    This article is from 2nd Yellow - Football Blog | World Soccer & Premier League FootballAs the sagas enveloping Darlington and Kettering Town respectively continue to evolve, one club finally finds some positive news which could lead to a deal being…
    - 7 days ago, 15 Feb 12, 8:42pm -
  • More than a Blog – 2nd Yellow Phase II
    This article is from 2nd Yellow - Football Blog | World Soccer & Premier League FootballWith the site now into a 3rd year, the time has come for the next phase in its development, when 2nd Yellow becoming more than a blog. This phase begins with the…
    - 7 days ago, 15 Feb 12, 5:52pm -
  • Fabio Capello resigns
    This article is from 2nd Yellow - Football Blog | World Soccer & Premier League FootballThe foreign man has gone. Fabio Capello's resignation as England manager in the aftermath of the John Terry captaincy affair will not prompt too many tears among…
    - 14 days ago, 8 Feb 12, 8:36pm -
  • Terry, Ferdinand, Racism & a Sporting Handshake Obsession
    This article is from 2nd Yellow - Football Blog | World Soccer & Premier League FootballWith John Terry's trial for racist abuse yet to begin, Chelsea take on Anton Ferdinand's QPR in the FA Cup on Saturday. The pre-match ritual of shaking hands has…
    - 28 days ago, 26 Jan 12, 7:18am -

Soccer Marketing

Footballs Up

  • Project Euro 2012: The Book (That’s a working title, obviously)
    Next summer I'm travelling around Europe by rail during Euro 2012, aiming to see as many matches in as many different countries as possible. The tournament itself is being held in Poland and the Ukraine (as the image above handily illustrates) and I'…
    - , 22 Jun 11, 1:15pm -
  • Paolo Di Canio joins the mighty Swindon Town
    Paolo Di Canio has today been confirmed as the new Swindon Town manager. Here's a tribute to him, taken directly from the Sabotage Times.
    - , 20 May 11, 11:20am -
  • Guest Post: England’s Top Young Prospects for 2011
    A guest post from Man Utd Soccer Schools on the young England players to watch out for over the next few years
    - , 16 May 11, 10:56am -
  • Some Site Recommendations
    Being as I barely update this site anymore, here are some more active/useful ones for you to visit...
    - , 12 May 11, 1:14pm -
  • The Best Red Card EVER
    What is the greatest red card ever? We go through some of the best ones...
    - , 21 Feb 11, 4:47pm -
  • Battle of the Bulge
    To be a footballer would be to live the dream - but you do have to make sacrifices. Here are some who have really taken the freedom of retirement to heart - heart disease, that is...
    - , 2 Feb 11, 6:14pm -

Futfanatico

  • Chelsea-Player & Tactical Revolutions Collide, Igniting Civil War
    Remember five years ago when Chelsea post EPL game press conferences revolved around Jose Mourinho complaining that Joe Cole dribbled too much? The Blues would have just ground out a 1-0 win over a lower level team, conceded zero shots … Continue r…
    - 24 hours ago, 22 Feb 12, 4:38am -
  • The US National Team Proudly Presents 23 Under 23
    The United States National Team roster for Olympic qualifying features twenty-three young players who capture the inventiveness and the vitality of contemporary American soccer. Each of the twenty-three players answered a brief questionnaire about th…
    - 3 days ago, 20 Feb 12, 5:23am -
  • The Scott Baio Anti-Defamation League Orders You to Cease & Desist Referring to Player W with Injurious Language
    A career in soccer is not an endless stream of Happy Days. No, while we’d all like to be the Charles in Charge, some things lay beyond our grasp. Luck. Chance. Fate. As fans and followers, we often project our … Continue reading →
    - 7 days ago, 16 Feb 12, 6:57am -
  • OWN GOALS – Some Fine Footy Links For Your Enjoyment
    The FA aside, the news cycle has been a bit slow lately. I did receive an anonymous tip that in Garden City, Kansas, a caterpillar had recently formed a cocoon and in a few weeks time may possibly become a … Continue reading →
    - 8 days ago, 15 Feb 12, 6:57am -
  • United v. Liverpool – The Shadows of Greatness Linger
    Everybody wants to talk about Luis Suarez. He was charged with racism, served his suspension, and has returned to play. Done. Was he petulant before the game? Yes. But since when was that novel? I’m more interested in this little … Continue readi…
    - 10 days ago, 13 Feb 12, 6:56am -
  • Why I’ll Truly Miss The Tune of Fabio A Capello in England
    Capell0 has resigned. Everybody tosses rocks at the FA’s glass house, yet we struggle to articulate our feelings. For sure, changing coaches on the cusp of a major tournament is never good. Remember the Ivory Coast drama before the 2010 … Continu…
    - 14 days ago, 8 Feb 12, 9:25pm -

Just Football

  • Murder in Port Said – The day a revolution turned cold
    Murder in Port Said – The day a revolution turned cold is a post from: Just FootballMurder in Port Said – The day a revolution turned cold is a post from: Just FootballJust days after the one year anniversary of the revolution, Egyptian footbal…
    - 3 days ago, 20 Feb 12, 2:29pm -
  • Sexo y droga y Penarol
    Sexo y droga y Penarol is a post from: Just FootballSexo y droga y Penarol is a post from: Just FootballWe at Just Football love nothing about the game more than when supporters come together to create imaginative and visual labours of love to expr…
    - 4 days ago, 19 Feb 12, 3:30am -
  • Talking tactics: Liverpool highlight importance of closing down Manchester United’s midfield
    Talking tactics: Liverpool highlight importance of closing down Manchester United’s midfield is a post from: Just FootballTalking tactics: Liverpool highlight importance of closing down Manchester United’s midfield is a post from: Just Football…
    - 7 days ago, 16 Feb 12, 3:38pm -
  • The Question: Should the away goals rule be scrapped?
    The Question: Should the away goals rule be scrapped? is a post from: Just FootballThe Question: Should the away goals rule be scrapped? is a post from: Just Footballby Jake MillerSince 1969 the European Cup has used the away goals rule to separat…
    - 9 days ago, 14 Feb 12, 12:33pm -
  • Africa Cup of Nations final preview – Zambia are winners regardless of result
    Africa Cup of Nations final preview – Zambia are winners regardless of result is a post from: Just FootballAfrica Cup of Nations final preview – Zambia are winners regardless of result is a post from: Just FootballWith the final today, here is…
    - 11 days ago, 12 Feb 12, 1:13pm -
  • Chasing the Big Leagues – FC Zwolle (Dutch Eerste Divisie)
    Chasing the Big Leagues – FC Zwolle (Dutch Eerste Divisie) is a post from: Just FootballChasing the Big Leagues – FC Zwolle (Dutch Eerste Divisie) is a post from: Just FootballJust Football’s Tales from Tier Two series, in association with @t…
    - 12 days ago, 11 Feb 12, 11:08am -

Footy Factor

  • January Transfers Signings: Hit or Miss?
    The January transfer window has been closed for just over two weeks. Some might say (we’re looking at you Chelsea fans) that it’s too early to judge new recruits, others argue you’ve got to hit the ground running when you switch clubs mid-seas…
    - , 15 Feb 11, 9:34pm -
  • January Transfer Surprises
    The final day of the January transfer window unfolded unlike any other. There were twists and turns aplenty – enough to satisfy the hunger of every footy fan. But the biggest surprises of the day were the ones that didn’t necessarily grab the h…
    - , 2 Feb 11, 8:38am -
  • The Premiership Proves Its Worth
    Recession? Don't make me choke on my meat pie. The English Premier League once again proved that its love affair with splashing the cash has in no way waned since the market crashed several years ago.
    - , 1 Feb 11, 9:43pm -
  • Gray Day for Sky Sports
    Sky sacked presenter Andy Gray yesterday following new evidence of his sexist behaviour came to light. Gray and presenter Richard Keys were warned over their comments about female referee Sian Massey before last Saturday's Wolves v Liverpool match. U…
    - , 26 Jan 11, 7:17am -
  • The Return of the New York Cosmos?
    What do you get when you cross an eccentric, former footballer turned aspiring actor, with a footy team whose glory years have long since been relegated to the history books? The return of the New York Cosmos?
    - , 20 Jan 11, 9:18pm -
  • The English Manager is a Dying Breed
    The English Manager is a dying breed. We've touched on this topic before. First, the English Manager was kicked out of the Top Four. Then, the English Manager was kicked out of the England squad. Now, the English Manager is getting kicked out of the…
    - , 18 Jan 11, 6:06pm -

Some People Are On The Pitch

  • SPAOTP: Nearly time to go...
    With a week to go before the 2010 World Cup comes to an end, it's time to tell you that next Sunday will also, sadly, see the end of Some People Are On The Pitch.After four years of blogging about football and all its interesting facets, I've decid…
    - 94 days ago, 21 Nov 11, 12:20pm -
  • Untitled
    Click on the links below to revisit some of the best bits from the Some People Are On The Pitch Archive:
    - , 3 Jun 11, 5:51am -
  • Untitled

    - , 13 Jul 10, 9:11pm -
  • They think it's all over… it is now...
    Well this is it then. We appear to have reached the end of the road as far as Some People Are On The Pitch is concerned. After four years and around 1,300 posts, it's time for us to go.As I mentioned last week, this isn't so much a 'goodbye' as a…
    - , 12 Jul 10, 8:18am -
  • World Cup: In my life
    Taking inspiration from a blog article by Richard Johnson, here’s something similar from me - namely a look back at the World Cups in my life so far and the way they intertwined with life itself.Spain ‘82Aside from the hazy image of tickertape…
    - , 10 Jul 10, 10:10pm -
  • World Cup TV Preview: 10-11 July
    Saturday 10th July19:30 Uruguay v Germany, FIFA World Cup 3rd/4th Place Play-Off, ITV1/HDThe penultimate match of the 2010 World Cup sees two purveyors of positive football playing in the one game no team really wants to be in.Four years ago, Ge…
    - , 9 Jul 10, 11:52am -

Off The Post

  • Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas presents a BRIT award to Ed Sheeran
    Arsenal’s best breakaway act of 2011 returned to London last night to present the BRIT awards for Best Breakthrough Act to ginger troubadour Ed Sheeran. Cesc Fabregas teamed up with Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger to present the award and managed…
    - 15 hours ago, 22 Feb 12, 1:34pm -
  • West Ham midfielder Henri Lansbury keeps a clean sheet during 35-minute goalkeeping stint
    West Ham’s Henri Lansbury was forced to play in goal for 35 minutes after keeper Rob Green was sent of during last night’s 4-1 win over Blackpool. The on-loan Arsenal youngster donned the gloves with 54 minutes on the clock with the score at 2-1.…
    - 19 hours ago, 22 Feb 12, 9:42am -
  • GIF It: Cristiano Ronaldo’s diving instincts get the better of him (CSKA Moscow 1-1 Real Madrid)
    His brain said ‘cross it’ but his body said ‘dive’. Cristiano Ronaldo got himself into a bit of a tangle as he attempted to put the ball into the box during Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with CSKA Moscow last night. Via 101GG
    - 19 hours ago, 22 Feb 12, 9:21am -
  • Is the Premier League’s dominance of the Champions League over?
    Chelsea remain in contention to progress in the Champions League by the skin of their teeth, but last night’s 3-1 defeat to Napoli leaves English football staring down the barrel of not having a single representative in the quarter-finals. With Ars…
    - 19 hours ago, 22 Feb 12, 9:12am -
  • OTP Podcast: Episode 26 – Wheeler Dealin’
    Scuba Steve Bould Ep.26 Wheeler Dealin’ by Off The Post on Mixcloud Ah, the magic of the FA Cup. A weekend when we all remember the glory days of football. Hazy, sepia-tinged days when plucky minnows would score ludicrous own goals at Anfield and t…
    - 20 hours ago, 22 Feb 12, 8:24am -
  • An important revision to our ‘strangest boyband’
    Earlier we told you that Lionel Messi, Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres, Frank Lampard, Jack Wilshere and Sergio Aguero have joined forces with DJ Calvin Harris to form the strangest boyband. We’d now like to revise this on the basis of tonight’s S…
    - 1 day ago, 21 Feb 12, 9:47pm -

Unprofessional Foul

  • Notes From The Not-Very-Underground-At-All
    So, I’m sure by now you’re all figuring out what our string of misty-eyed retrospectives/adventures in oversharing are all about. That’s right; as of, um, right about now, Unprofessional Foul is dead. Ceased to be. Bereft of life. Shuffled its…
    - 44 days ago, 10 Jan 12, 12:00am -
  • The Best XI Things About Unprofessional Foul
    Today was missing a list and any special day here at UF is not complete without a list.  So, don’t forget that The Fan’s Attic is giving you a list when you go to rate us at the end of the day.  (No idea if there is going to be any rating and I…
    - 44 days ago, 9 Jan 12, 11:15pm -
  • A lot more than a Spectator
    With our final guest post of the day, we present Spectator. You know that scene in 24 Hour Party People where Peter Saville finally shows up with the Hacienda flyers, but it’s after the club has actually opened, and Tony Wilson/Steve Coogan says…
    - 44 days ago, 9 Jan 12, 10:45pm -
  • Words of wisdom from an old friend
    And now, with another blast from the past, we get a post from Sven. Be sure to check out the returns of Norfolk Ned and Spinachdip NY from last week.  A lot can change in five years. Five years ago, when JT first approached me about joining his new…
    - 44 days ago, 9 Jan 12, 10:15pm -
  • Oasis vs. Blur! The Definitive Guide to Britpop’s Biggest Feud (but, really…)
    A girl I love once gave me a book as a gift. It was a good one, notable, but as she said in her inscription, not something I should bother reading. She was right and I never have, never once turning past the inky message on the flip-side of its paper…
    - 44 days ago, 9 Jan 12, 9:30pm -
  • Ciao For Now
    I won’t go on too long. I know, I know. I always say that. But you’ll be hearing from contributors who are far more experienced, eloquent, and essential to UF than I over the course of the day. I am not really a frequent denizen of the internet.…
    - 44 days ago, 9 Jan 12, 8:45pm -

Dirty Tackle

  • newLinks! And The Berba of MLS offers his teammates some valuable advice!
    All the stuff being covered outside the unfriendly confines of the award-winning Dirty Tackle... Sporting KC defender Aurelien Collin is making a run for Dimitar Berbatov's title of...The Continental. [YouTube]Run of Play is in exile. On Tumblr. S…
    - 5 hours ago, 22 Feb 12, 11:35pm -
  • newNew England kit revealed by Joey Barton
    It's been a long time since Joey Barton was anywhere near an England shirt, but the QPR midfielder has today leaked an image of the brand new strip the Three Lions will wear in next Wednesday's friendly with the Netherlands.Barton spilled the image…
    - 7 hours ago, 22 Feb 12, 9:43pm -
  • DTotD: Nicolas Otamendi gets kicked in the face by his teammate
    Manchester City pounded Europa League defending champions Porto 4-0 on Wednesday to advance on a 6-1 aggregate score. Porto defender Nicolas Otamendi got the worst of the team's misfortunes on the day when teammate Maicon went to kick a high ball th…
    - 9 hours ago, 22 Feb 12, 7:12pm -
  • Rayo Vallecano offering discount Real Madrid tickets to unemployed fans
    Though Rayo Vallecano are enjoying a bit of success, currently sitting 8th in La Liga after winning promotion last season, many of their fans are not. With Spain's unemployment rate the highest in Europe at almost 23 percent, Rayo have decided to of…
    - 9 hours ago, 22 Feb 12, 7:00pm -
  • Reporter wants to sue Zlatan Ibrahimovic for ‘hitting’ her with his car
    Standing in the middle of the street is never a good idea -- especially when you're a reporter holding a microphone in the path of footballers trying to flee the training ground. One reporter outside of Milan's Milanello complex apparently thought t…
    - 11 hours ago, 22 Feb 12, 5:41pm -
  • Bayern Munich’s basketball team wanted Bastian Schweinsteiger to play for them last season
    Existing in the shadow of Bayern Munich's much more popular football team, the club's title-winning basketball team wanted to draw some attention their way at the end of last season. So, head coach Dirk Bauermann came up with an idea.From the AFP:…
    - 1 day ago, 22 Feb 12, 2:29am -

Soccer Blog

  • Sir Alex, Milkman
    In two or three years, we can expect Sir Alex Ferguson to step down at United, and live out his wife's dream - as a milkman!Read all about it >>...
    - 3 days ago, 20 Feb 12, 6:32am -
  • Watch: Messi Scores 4! Barca 5 - Valencia 1
    What's amazing is how easy Messi makes it all look... effortless....
    - 3 days ago, 20 Feb 12, 6:07am -
  • Aziz Yildirim in the eye of the Turkish match fixing trial
    Fenerbahce fans showing their support for Aziz Yildirim, the club president Aziz Yildirim, Fenerbahce's president and the most prominent name amongst the 93 arrested on charges of match fixing finally had his day in court this week. At least...
    - 6 days ago, 17 Feb 12, 6:11am -
  • Europa Cup: Man City 2 Porto 1
    szólj hozzá: Porto 1-2 Man City All Goals The other Manchester club was also in action. They faced Porto and the very impressive Hulk, who wasted no opportunity coasting down the left to sizzle in a cross for Silvestre Varela...
    - 6 days ago, 17 Feb 12, 5:46am -
  • Europa Cup: Man Utd 2 Ajax 0
    szólj hozzá: Ajax 0-2 MU All Goals Tom Cleverly shows glimpses of his special talent. Many see him as the next Paul Scholes. Man Utd won through goals by Ashley Young and Chicharito Hernandez. The win was marred by Antonio...
    - 6 days ago, 17 Feb 12, 1:37am -
  • Mancini: Amores Perros to Carlos Tevez
    The lovers squabble dogging Roberto Mancini and Carlos Tevez continues. Mancini says the problem is he treated Tevez too well in response to the striker's contention he was "treated like a dog." " But I totally disagree with Carlos...
    - 7 days ago, 16 Feb 12, 2:48pm -

The Equaliser

  • The End of the Road
    I suppose this has been coming for quite a while. As the paucity of content in recent months suggests, I’ve been struggling to find both the time and motivation to blog and have decided that the time has come to put this thing out of its misery. We…
    - 14 days ago, 8 Feb 12, 9:27pm -
  • Hibernation
    As I explore freelance options, focus on some new writing projects and attempt to sort my post-university life out, I will be putting the blog into hibernation for a couple of months but hope to have it back up-and-running this winter. Many thanks fo…
    - , 6 Oct 11, 11:11pm -
  • Decade by Decade: Epilogue
    It is too easy to forget the lessons of history. With the modern, globalised world setting its gaze firmly upon the horizon of technological progress and instantaneous communication, the events and gradual metamorphoses which have conspired to shape…
    - , 6 Oct 11, 10:40pm -
  • 2000s Month: Learning to Love MLS
    by Dawes Dunham Major League Soccer. Something about the name just didn’t sit well with me. Perhaps it was its close proximity to the name of my most worshipped sport, Major League Baseball. Perhaps it was the garish jerseys and worse team nickname…
    - , 1 Oct 11, 3:20pm -
  • 2000s Month: Fratelli d’Italia
    by Angelo Fiorini ‘We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.’ - William Shakespeare.In the Autumn of 1847 Goffredo Mameli sat down and wrote ‘Il Canto degli Italiani’, a piec…
    - , 29 Sep 11, 6:20pm -

Scotzine

Football Streaker

  • Twitter
    Follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/ColmPheloThis is my personal twitter, won't be all football, there will however more than likely be some Premier League based banter. Also selling Fifa Ultimate Team coins on ebay, contact me for detail…
    - 30 days ago, 24 Jan 12, 1:03am -
  • Arsenal, a club in turmoil
    Lately, you can't look in the papers without seeing something about North Londoners, Arsenal. The problem for them is, the news has not been very good of late. Some might say Arsenal are a club in crisis, and I would have to agree.We all know about…
    - , 16 Aug 11, 2:05pm -
  • Why have England fallen short in major tournaments?
    At this time of year, the prospects of the national side are firmly on the back-burner of many fans minds, and rightly so, it’s the exciting start of the new season, full of hope and expectation, which carries many fans along until they meet their…
    - , 14 Aug 11, 2:43pm -
  • Gunners chase Downing
    Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger has apparently today made an astonishing £18 million bid for Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing. Downing has been with a move away from Villa Park after a rather sluggish season from Villa. Villa have already lost a key p…
    - , 10 Jul 11, 10:55am -
  • Why a mad summer of transfers has lifted the pressure from Andy Carroll
    If you have been following the summer of transfer dealings so far, you will know that there is plenty of money changing hands. Some deals are not completed quite yet, but as well as the ones that have gone through, the price tags of some players has…
    - , 5 Jul 11, 9:27pm -
  • 4 players in demand
    Here is a list of 4 players who I believe are the most in demand in the current transfer market.1. Samir Nasri - He has been in the tabloids constantly for the past three weeks. Manchester United, Manchester City,Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid ar…
    - , 4 Jul 11, 4:56pm -

The Hand of Blog

  • New Chelsea 3rd Kit 2011/2012
    Chelsea revealed their new 3rd kit for the forthcoming season today and perhaps the best way to describe it would be ‘safe’ but it is flirting with the idea of being adventurous or dangerous or even off-the-wall by having a large yellow block acr…
    - , 11 Aug 11, 10:14am -
  • EXCLUSIVE: Alex Ferguson's phone is hacked....
    The Man United manager's phone was hacked earlier this summer and the following text conversation was found........Disclaimer: The above is all rubbish, Alex Ferguson's phone wasn't hacked as far as we know. He may not even have a phone. If you belie…
    - , 23 Jul 11, 12:26pm -
  • EXCLUSIVE: Kenny Dalglish's phone is hacked....
    The Liverpool manager's phone was hacked earlier this summer and the following conversation was recorded........Disclaimer: The above is all rubbish, Kenny Dalglish's phone wasn't hacked as far as we know. He may not even have a phone. If you believe…
    - , 22 Jul 11, 10:21am -
  • Who I want to work for......
    By Fesc Cabregas
    - , 19 Jul 11, 8:50pm -
  • 2011 South Pacific Games Football - Papua New Guinea
    National Flag of Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea have made appearances in all bar one (2007) of the previous football tournaments at the South Pacific Games. Although they have never managed to come away with the Gold medal they have had a reasonabl…
    - , 17 Jul 11, 4:07pm -
  • 2011 South Pacific Games Football - Kiribati
    The island nation of Kiribati is one of two nations (alongside Tuvalu) in the South Pacific Games football tournament which are not members of FIFA. They do not therefore have an official FIFA world ranking.As the national football team has only ev…
    - , 13 Jul 11, 3:18pm -

Born Offside

In Bed With Maradona

  • SYRIAN FOOTBALLERS CLOSE IN ON LONDON 2012
    Amidst the chaotic political situation in Syria, one could be forgiven for presuming football is the last thing on the minds of many Syrians. Yet on Wednesday the Syrian Under-23 national football team travels to Bahrain where a victory would put the…
    - 19 hours ago, 22 Feb 12, 9:15am -
  • ACROSS THE POND: THE LAST CHANCE SALOON?
    Kris Boyd has become the latest Scottish pro to try his luck in MLS. Bryan Kay assesses his chances, and looks at some of those who paved the way. The sneering pundits who never quite warmed to his predatory virtues would perhaps put it something l…
    - 2 days ago, 21 Feb 12, 2:24pm -
  • DREAMING OF ENGLAND
    Andy Hudson examines whether the departures of two young Swedish players from Newcastle is an isolated case of not making the grade, or part of a wider trend. The February news that Newcastle United’s Swedish young guns Ole Söderberg and Samuel A…
    - 2 days ago, 21 Feb 12, 10:45am -
  • BARCA'S SCOTTISH HERO - GEORGE PATTULLO
    The title says it all, welcome to a great story.The American author and humorist Mark Twain apparently once said the ink with which all history is written is merely fluid prejudice, and to be fair to the man who created Huckleberry Finn, he probab…
    - 2 days ago, 21 Feb 12, 9:00am -
  • ZAMBIA: WHERE DID IT ALL GO RIGHT?
    This year’s African Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea was destined to produce a shock winner from the start. With the African heavyweights of Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, South Africa and reigning champions Egypt all failing to qualify…
    - 3 days ago, 20 Feb 12, 11:30am -
  • YEMEN
    Omar Almasri looks at a nation that has suffered more than many.A divided nation and its people, suffering high illiteracy, the threat of terrorist attacks, a plummeting and unstable economy, a tyrannical and corrupt government and political crisis…
    - 3 days ago, 20 Feb 12, 11:01am -

Natter Football

  • WE have MOVED!
    Visit the new home of natter football…… www.natterfootball.co.uk Filed under: Uncategorized
    - , 7 Oct 11, 4:46pm -
  • NATTER football has MOVED to: www.natterfootball.co.uk
    We have moved and now natter at the new home of NATTER football…… www.natterfootball.co.uk Filed under: Uncategorized
    - , 7 Oct 11, 4:36pm -
  • Eddie Mitchell: a fit and proper chairman for Bournemouth?
    When Eddie Mitchell was leading a consortium to purchase AFC Bournemouth, this was met with mixed feelings. Locally, he is in the building trade, building rather weird Miami Vice style houses that are for sale for multi millions of pounds … Continu…
    - , 16 Sep 11, 9:15am -
  • The East Midlands derby
    Event: East Midlands derby Date and time: 17/9/2011 – 1:00pm Location: City Ground, Nottingham Both Derby and Nottingham Forest have experienced mixed starts to their seasons leading up to one of the biggest fixtures of the campaign. Derby County g…
    - , 16 Sep 11, 9:11am -
  • Twitter and football: good together?
    Twitter has become one of the most prominent forms of social media in recent times, hitting the headlines time and time again, as great news stories of our time, are played out in real time with a stream of updates … Continue reading →
    - , 14 Sep 11, 11:21am -
  • A quick view of League Two
    This week in League Two we’ve seen Crawley hit for six, Rotherham avenge the 2010-playoff final and Shrewsbury entering the automatic promotion places. After a disappointing campaign last season Morecambe continue their excellent start to the seaso…
    - , 13 Sep 11, 10:20am -

Pat's Football Blog

  • 2012 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS - RESULTS
    The twenty-eighth edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (sponsored by Orange) was held jointly in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon between 21/1/12-12/2/12, and was won by Zambia, who surprised most pundits by defeating pre-tournament favourites Côte d'I…
    - 3 days ago, 19 Feb 12, 5:03pm -
  • BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: A LOOK BACK AT THE OFC NATIONS CUP AND WORLD CUP QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT (PRELIMINARY ROUND)
    Again, another tournament which was not covered at the time due to certain circumstances, but this competition, which served a double-purpose as the qualifying matches for both the OFC Nations Cup and as the preliminary round of qualifiers for the 20…
    - 4 days ago, 19 Feb 12, 3:57pm -
  • 2012 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS FINALS - DRAW & FIXTURE-LIST
    This coming weekend sees the start of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Finals, which will be jointly hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, and which will take place between 21/1/12-12/2/12. Sixteen nations will take part; it will be Equatorial Guinea'…
    - 8 days ago, 15 Feb 12, 2:46pm -
  • TRAGEDY IN EGYPT - WHAT NEXT FOR AL-AHLY AND FOR EGYPTIAN FOOTBALL IN GENERAL?
    Football has long been by far the most popular sport in Egypt, and it has equally been an outlet for the many frustrations of the country's citizens, as well as oft being a source of joy, at both club and international level. However, on Wednesday n…
    - 16 days ago, 7 Feb 12, 1:23am -
  • THE MIRACLE OF MIRANDÉS
    The semi-final draw of Spain's Copa del Rey has taken shape, with Barcelona having defeated a rather thuggish Real Madrid on Wednesday evening to progress to the semis, where they will face Valencia, who a day later rounded off a comprehensive 7:…
    - 26 days ago, 28 Jan 12, 12:16pm -
  • LUIS SUÁREZ - BANNED AND FINED, BUT IS HE JUST AS MUCH SINNED AGAINST AS SINNER?
    The Liverpool player Luis Suárez was found guilty by the FA on Tuesday of using insulting language with racist overtones against Manchester United's Patrice Evra during the game between the two clubs at Anfield on 18/10/11, and received punishme…
    - 36 days ago, 17 Jan 12, 9:33pm -

Richard & Neils Football Blog

  • The Future of Football Blogging
    Recently there has been a gloom hanging over the football blogging world; a sense of disillusionment that has left some notable bloggers considering their future in the hobby. The reasons for this are, of course, varied, but there is one that seems t…
    - 94 days ago, 21 Nov 11, 9:55am -
  • Our other stuff
    You may have noticed that our blog hasn’t been updated for a while. With our recent nominations for the Young Blogger of the Year awards by the NOPA’s we thought, due to the increased traffic, we’d tell you where we’ve been writing recently.…
    - 97 days ago, 18 Nov 11, 2:20pm -
  • Crime and Punishment in Non-League
    I realize no-one cares. After all no-one at all has written about this (that I’ve found) and it’s been at least three weeks since the decision was announced. All reformed clubs have to now start at step five in the non-league system instead of b…
    - , 8 Aug 11, 9:34pm -
  • I've written something for the When Saturday Comes website
    And here's the link http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/7449/38/Enjoy!
    - , 31 Jul 11, 9:40am -
  • What we're doing...
    You may have noticed that in as the summer holidays have started, a time where students like the writers of this blog can do as they damn well please, our posts have dramatically decreased. You may be wondering what the hell is going on. And you'd be…
    - , 11 Jul 11, 8:54pm -
  • Five Fun Facts About Chester FC.
    I recently wrote a short piece for Footy Sphere in their Five Fun Facts series. The link below will take you to it. http://footysphere.tumblr.com/post/7233043954/five-fun-facts-chester-fc
    - , 7 Jul 11, 2:30pm -

Floodlit Football

  • Things Carlos Tévez Would Probably Rather Do Than Play Football
    Host and perform at an Ann Summers’ party. The laundry from the Rugby World Cup. Run around a Sainsbury’s car park squealing like a piglet. Open a pub in Wales called ‘The Bull and Chinstrap’. Make two hundred origami swans. … Continue read…
    - , 14 Oct 11, 7:11pm -
  • How I Will Write my Super Mega Soaraway Premier League Preview
    Always start at the top. Manchester United, they’re good aren’t they? I’ll start off by asking rhetorically if you’ve forgotten how good there are, even though they just won the league a couple of months ago. I’ll remind you to … Continue…
    - , 8 Aug 11, 2:07pm -
  • Ten Years Asleep
    David Moyes is about to enter his tenth full season as Everton manager, but the club remains the Premier League’s sleeping giant. When he arrived his reputation was on the rise as a no-nonsense and tenacious manager. More recently, Moyes … Contin…
    - , 5 Aug 11, 6:12pm -
  • A League of Their Own
    On Sunday, the USA takes on Japan in the Women’s World Cup Final. It has been an entertaining tournament and is being followed in the US on a level similar to the famous 1999 World Cup win, not least because … Continue reading →
    - , 15 Jul 11, 5:41pm -
  • Questioning Corporate Kits
    Nothing says ‘off-season’ quite like the media coverage given to Adidas’ decision to incorporate blue in Liverpool’s third kit for the upcoming campaign. Apparently, 70% of internet-based Liverpool fans are opposed to the colour scheme, the i…
    - , 17 Jun 11, 9:44pm -
  • What is a Win Worth?
    For the past two months, I have been attending and cheering on, to the best of my ability, the Atlanta Silverbacks. They were formed as a somewhat last-minute addition to the fledgling second division soccer league in the US, which … Continue readi…
    - , 9 Jun 11, 4:26pm -

Narrow The Angle

  • A few memorable FA Cup Third Round moments from the annals
    Woking's Tim Buzaglo grabbed a hat-trick at the Hawthorns in 1991This weekend sees the return of many neutrals’ favourite date in the football calendar – the FA Cup Third Round. And for ultimate drama, you need most of the following boxes tick…
    - 47 days ago, 6 Jan 12, 6:00pm -
  • What if Joey Barton could edit himself in Football Manager?
    Many of you will have seen Joey Barton's tweets this week about him playing Football Manager 2012, taking the QPR job, and then falling out with his virtual self. This has probably been the highlight of my week.If you didn't see the tweets in quest…
    - 48 days ago, 6 Jan 12, 12:37pm -
  • Commentators and "context"
    A short rant about football commentary, match-day summarisers and the production values of modern-day football broadcastingPhoto: Andy HallCompetitive sport makes for compelling television for lots of reasons. But ask a hundred sports fans why t…
    - 96 days ago, 18 Nov 11, 4:53pm -
  • Is football all about the players? Part 2 of 2
    Jamie Carragher and Ray Wilkins give their thoughts on why the England manager should be an Englishman. Carragher's argument is hard to argue with, but Wilkins' analysis reflects badly on the state of the English gameI had said previously that I'd r…
    - , 17 Oct 11, 9:51pm -
  • Is football all about the players? Part 1 of 2
    This week sees some of world football's top minds and most powerful decision makers come together at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge for the Leaders In Football summit. There are a number of intriguing talks on the agenda, with referee Pierluigi Collina,…
    - , 17 Oct 11, 8:10pm -
  • Kia Joorabchian on Carlos Tevez in Munich: the complete interview transcript
    Controversy erupts on Manchester City's bench in MunichToday at the Leaders In Football summit, held at Chelsea FC's Stamford Bridge, a hastily arranged Q&A with Carlos Tevez's representative Kia Joorabchian was organised. Asking the questions was…
    - , 5 Oct 11, 7:05pm -

Magic Spongers

  • Pod Almighty
    The pod returns on Transfer Deadline Day - will Bushby stay at Magic Spongers despite various indiscretions? Will Rob be sent out on loan to gain some much-needed experience? Will Jonny get 'Wilman's Big Headers' - HIS OWN FEATURE - right this week?J…
    - 22 days ago, 1 Feb 12, 1:49pm -
  • Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right
    "Why always me?"Over the past 10 days or so, the Premier League and its orbiting media bodies have seen fit to dispense with perspective like a grown man discarding some raggedy old fleece he used to have as a student, and concern themselves with as…
    - 29 days ago, 24 Jan 12, 5:15pm -
  • English Jobs for English Workers
    'What competition?'Handing you over to a man who has obviously read the Magic Spongers blueprint - filing a piece months late - here is the ever-excellent Dan Forman on a still pertinent issueIn October last year (for it has taken me this long to get…
    - 33 days ago, 21 Jan 12, 11:09am -
  • Podcast Episode 4 - Wayne Bridge is SO selfish
    The podcast is back! And just like it's never been away, this week features a brief catch up, corruption at FIFA, Wayne Bridge, 'Wilman's Big Headers' and... just some other stuff too.Just click the arty picture. Lovely.
    - 35 days ago, 19 Jan 12, 12:45pm -
  • Don't You Know Who He Is?
    'How long left? 88 minutes?!'In true Spongers style, we celebrate the return of the Premier League by looking back at some FA Cup stuff from about six days ago. Sort of.Here’s a little joke for you. There are these three pieces of string, right, an…
    - 41 days ago, 13 Jan 12, 1:35pm -
  • The Road to Contrition
    Disappointed by this, Dan Forman imagined this [pours on fuel, lights match, stands back...]:Having had the appropriate time to consider the FA's full report into Luis Suarez, Liverpool FC would like to make the following statement:We accept the FA's…
    - 49 days ago, 4 Jan 12, 4:59pm -

Football Farrago

  • Forget The Euros
    Jude ElleryGanso -- one to watch in 2014.Let's be honest, England are about as likely to win the Euros as Harry Redknapp is to flip open a laptop and read this article.So, they'd* be better off doing what Brazil have in the last couple of years.  Th…
    - 7 days ago, 15 Feb 12, 9:46pm -
  • strange bOUnce: Don’t Take Your Eye Off The Ball
    Roge SlaterBall of the century or strange bounce? Here's a guestpiece about cricket that might cheer up England fans.There we were then.Nice and relaxed, a sunny summer afternoon, looking forwardto a few days watching God’s own game up at glorious…
    - 10 days ago, 13 Feb 12, 9:00am -
  • STRANGE BOUNCE: Lionel Messi's First Goal
    The following is part fact, part fiction -- all brilliant. It was written by Nick Jessup, whom we hope to see more from soon at strange bOUnce.Leo Messi's first goalLittle Leo That CouldLeo sat on a bench after a difficult day in training. He had b…
    - 12 days ago, 10 Feb 12, 7:24pm -
  • FANTASYFARRAGO: January Sales
    Jude ElleryAdel Taarabt, GTFO.  Or should I keep him...?  BBC.Right, you wanna swap some players, do you?Well you're going to have to wait till 2 Feb.  That's the rule.  Everyone's TWO transfers come into play on this date, to make it nice and si…
    - 49 days ago, 5 Jan 12, 12:02am -
  • VIDEO: White Wine In The Sun
    I've gone all Tumblr. Here's a Christmas message from the world's best comedian and pianist, Tim Minchin. Enjoy your day, folks. 
    - 60 days ago, 25 Dec 11, 11:47am -
  • Twelve Days of Christmas -- As Seen By Gary Gaffer
    On the twelfth day of Christmas, My chairman sent to me: Twelve tweeters tweeting, Eleven agents calling, Ten subs a sulking, Nine F.A hearings, Eight full-backs fighting, Seven strikers striking, Six wingers whinging, Five angry fans, Four…
    - 61 days ago, 24 Dec 11, 12:50pm -

When We Were Heroes

  • Yeehaw - Formula 1 saddles up for Texas
    Where better to host the return to the USA of Formula 1 then Austin, Texas? After all, if a city renowned for it's cowboys can't get hot for some horsepower, then nowhere will...  Set to be finished next June, Bernie Ecclestone confirmed last mont…
    - , 29 Sep 11, 4:44pm -
  • Nike MAG shoes - Back For The Future
    After a 22 year wait, and technically four years ahead of schedule, the Nike Mag sneakers worn by Michael J. Fox's character Marty McFly in Back to the Future II have finally become a reality. In consultation with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Ni…
    - , 9 Sep 11, 3:40pm -
  • England get kitted out for the Rugby World Cup
    There's been a great deal of controversy surrounding England's decision to sport an all black kit in the All Blacks' back yard. Thankfully, with Martin Johnson's men touching down in New Zealand focus appears to have reverted to the challenge ahead…
    - , 30 Aug 11, 10:21pm -
  • adidas Originals - All Originals, Iconics Commercial 2011
    Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks' Josh Smth and some guy called Snoop Dogg steal the limelight in the latest adidas Originals commercial. 
    - , 9 Aug 11, 9:34pm -
  • Pele's Farewell Game - 1 October 1977
    Copyright © ColorsportPele has been in London today promoting both a local youth football programme and the reformation of his former club The New York Cosmos.Still going strong at the age of 70, the Brazilian legend looks set for a busy couple of…
    - , 3 Aug 11, 7:05pm -
  • Sir Peter Blake for Fred Perry
    Ever wondered what a Fred Perry polo shirt would look like in the hands of a pop artist? Well wonder no more...Using the classic fit M12 shirt as a base, Sir Peter Blake has produced three exclusive designs featuring sewn on badges and screen print…
    - , 1 Aug 11, 11:34am -

Lionel Hesse

  • Passions & Interests
    The mark of true football fan is his or her ability to distinguish between passion and interest. The former is an inextinguishable underlying fire that is of little concern to anyone but themselves – mostly bigoted opinions and fanciful hopes conce…
    - , 24 Aug 11, 5:30pm -
  • Predictions
    As the countdown crawls from weeks to days, football’s Prince John collects his exorbitant taxes from the poor residents Sherwood in the form of Sky subscription fees, and the nation braces itself for another thirty eight weekends in the company…
    - , 13 Aug 11, 5:21pm -
  • What We Know & What We Don't
    The international break may once have been cause for great excitement – a time when fans could put aside partisan differences and unite behind a common cause (or a mutual enemy) – but increasingly tedious qualifiers and ‘glamour’ friendlies p…
    - , 8 Apr 11, 10:54am -
  • Cops & Robbers
    Once upon a time there was a kingdom ruled over a by a central authority. Responsibility for governing was delegated among a group of chieftains from whom total obedience was expected, but who were unanswerable to the masses below them. The merit of…
    - , 7 Mar 11, 10:22pm -
  • Watering the Fountain of Youth
    It’s a dark dark day in any young adult’s life when they are finally forced to accept they aren’t going to make it as a professional footballer. The pain is made all the more acute by it being a drawn out process – usually taking place betwee…
    - , 2 Mar 11, 6:18pm -
  • Discipline
    Howard Webb: he’s not from New York City; he’s from Rotheram. Over the summer he officiated the dirtiest World Cup final in recent memory and was roundly criticised for his over-lenience (despite showing thirteen yellow cards and a red), especial…
    - , 2 Mar 11, 6:08pm -

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It's A Football Thing

  • The underdog
    Everyone loves an underdog! Whenever a top tier club play lower league opposition in the cup the British media can't help but cover themselves in underdog hype! The magic of the cup, the thought of a battered old war horse returning from the front li…
    - 3 days ago, 19 Feb 12, 8:27pm -
  • Cult Hero
    Next up in our cult hero series is a chap from the 90's. He won his fair share of England caps *although in fairness most of them were under Graham Taylor! Not everyone's cup of tea mind you, he often covered the most yardage on the pitch. Step forwa…
    - 3 days ago, 19 Feb 12, 8:26pm -
  • Half time oranges please!
    We've now past the half-way point of the season and the final few months are in sight it's time to put your feet up grab a cup of tea and flick through the TV Guide..... You must be joking!What a season it's been so far, FAB has left the England hot-…
    - 11 days ago, 12 Feb 12, 12:38pm -
  • F.A.B - What next for England
    What a difference 24 hours can make, two football managers were due possibly life changing decisions. One not of their own choosing the other had his fate in his own hands.Capello has gone and Redknapp's still with us. Capello went on principal, The…
    - 13 days ago, 9 Feb 12, 5:53pm -
  • Many Happy Returns?
    With the recent events @ The Emirates where Thierry Henry has been welcomed back like a returning Messiah (albeit it a temporary one - made to cover the cracks of no new signings again this window for Wenger), we thought we'd take a look at some of…
    - 25 days ago, 29 Jan 12, 2:52pm -
  • What is the point of Gareth Barry?
    It's the midweek, City are playing Liverpool for a place in the league cup final, and an interesting game of footie is ruined by the presence of Gareth Barry! He is like wholemeal bread...... leaves a 'orrible taste in the mouth and doesn't bring any…
    - 28 days ago, 25 Jan 12, 9:39pm -

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