The football blog for fans of all clubs
A police officer astride a white horse, trying to control football crowds! No, this story is not about the âWhite Horseâ FA Cup Final at Wembley in 1923 but it too comes from a different age and could almost be replayed in black and white, if not sepia. Having done the double over fellow Yorkshire […]
“Whatâs your Daddy do? Plays football. Who for? Everton. Is he good? Yes. Whatâs his name Alex Young” Golden Vision. BBC Play for Today. 1968 Like most Everton fans, I was devastated to hear the sad news of the death of The Golden Vision himself, Alex Young. He had just recently celebrated his eightieth birthday. […]
Zlatanâs heroics helped United towards a possible road to success, but what happened across the top European leagues this weekend? The Spanish League was threatened to be blown wide open when Sevilla went joint top with a win at Betis, however Real Madrid and Barcelona showed their determination to regain the top two spots with […]
If youâve stepped away from the Italian game for a few years, you will notice that the calcio stereotypes do not necessarily fit. While defence is still prized by the top clubs and the Azzurri will feature one of the best backlines in the world game, Serie A has more diversity of styles and play […]
Hindsight is a wonderful gift, said George Custer as he gasped his last at the Little Bighorn. It is now accepted that the bold Colonel was a bit of a tit as a military strategist, although for many years he was regarded by the history revisionists as an icon and hero who died a noble […]
By the end, Brian Clough was Nottingham Forest through and through. Clough was one of the best managers of his time. But Clough’s final year, not only at Nottingham Forest but in management, was the major disappointment of his 18 year legacy with the club. That final season in 1992/93 was the start of the […]
Winter break or no winter break? Are the latest generation of footballers being wrapped up in cotton wool? Why canât footballers play three times in the same week? These are some of the questions being asked by fans, pundits and coaches all over the land. Football has always been played over the Christmas period in […]
All matches kick off at 3pm, 25th February 2017 unless stated otherwise. Ballinamallard United v Ballymena United Ballinamallard host Ballymena fresh from their Northern Ireland League Cup victory that was the subject of a Sky Sports broadcast last Saturday. The Mallards sit in 10th place currently, twelve points clear of the relegation play-off spot, knowing […]
Suddenly betting in football is a hot topic again this week. Firstly, Sutton Unitedâs deputy goalkeeper Wayne Shaw has wrecked the integrity of the FA Cup by eating a pie. Secondly, Cowdenbeath player Dean Brett has been suspended after admitting betting on his own team to lose. And then there is the unresolved saga of […]
It must feel wonderful as a manager to not have to worry about tactics. At least, that is what many people assume happens when a team goes up a man. When a player is sent off, the team down a player loses any obligation to create a smart tactical plan. Your goal is to make […]
The Vision- Spotting your teammateâs run put that perfect ball in for himâŠSpot a gap between two defenders enough for you to pass, go for it. Goalkeeper is out of position or not covering a corner, go for that cracker… The vision makes the player…Speed and skills heâs born with, like everyone! Companies like Stats […]
Pichichi is a nickname given to Rafael Moreno Aranzadi (23 May 1892 â 1 March 1922), known as Pichichi who played for Athletic Bilbao during the year 1910s and 1920s. He was also Spanish forward. The reason for his nickname because of his frail build. Pichichi was always easily identifiable on the pitch due to […]
So began the lyrics for âRawhideâ – the Western TV series â broadcast from 1959 to 1965. For Leeds United, this period represented the genesis period of our most famous club side and catapulted Leeds into the consciousness of football fans up and down the country as well as placing West Yorkshire firmly on the […]
Julen Guerrero LĂłpez (born 7 January 1974) is a Spanish retired footballer who played ONLY for Athletic Bilbao amassing amazing 400 official games. Ambidextrous, the attacking midfielder was mainly known for his skills and shooting ability. A Spanish international since 1993, he represented the nation at two World Cups, gaining 41 caps. On 27 January […]
It’s a familiar refrain heard in football conversations around the world – ‘you’re just a one-man team!’ Ironically football is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball made out of leather, enjoyed by millions, made in England, but transcends gender, race, religion and locality. Football is arguably the […]
Listening to Zinedine Zidane, the Real Madrid manager, it seems they are really determined to defend their title this year. Looking at the past statistics, elite European teams can bag consecutive national titles, win premium knockout trophies or win the Europa League consistently, but itâs not characteristic. Surprisingly, retaining the Champions League title has been […]
As the English Premier League stepped aside to allow the magic of the FA Cup its rightful attention, the top European leagues didnât hang around. Juventus took a seven point lead over nearest challengers Roma with a 4-1 victory as Higuain scored his 19th league goal, while Dybala banged in an unstoppable free kick before […]
JosĂ© Ăngel Iribar Cortajarena, nicknamed El Chopo, or “The Poplar” was born 1 March 1943 and is a Spanish retired football goalkeeper and manager. Having played almost exclusively for Athletic Bilbao, he appeared in more than 600 official games for the club over the course of 18 La Liga seasons, winning two major titles. Iribar […]
When youâre a manager, what matters more, the match at hand or the long-term? The answer is a bit of both but when you put together your match day line-up, one or the other must dominate. For many managers in the FA Cup, the long-term is most important. Therefore, the competition has suffered from poor […]
This weekend Sky Sports offered up something a bit different, something it hasnât seen for a while. Irish League Football. A recently forged deal has seen Sky pick up coverage of five Irish League matches a season and also the League Cup Final â which incidentally is the following day. The first game on offer […]
