Banners and flags at football grounds across the world have become part of the furniture over recent decades, most commonly used to show affection for a player or manager of your team. However, when the cameras focus in on one of your fans flying the flag of a club plying its trade in a far […]
Author : Rowan Shaw-Nicholl
21. History and Journalism student at the University of Stirling. Northern Irish.
Glass half full Liverpool fan.
KRC Genk: European Football’s most Understated Feeding Ground
Barcelona’s La Masia, Ajax’s esteemed youth academy and Lyon’s iconic production line all operate as a handful of Europe’s most prestigious talent pools. Racing Genk is a club not so commonly associated with this list. In a muddied environment of football transfers where short-term fixes and exuberant transfer fees reign supreme, self-sufficiency and youth development […]
Bacary Sagna and Benevento: A Chance to Fight for the Underdog
Players of today that enter the dwindling years of their career often value a final bumper pay-packet at the top of the list when searching for a new club. The MLS, in particular, has offered itself as a safe haven for many a former world-beater, becoming a common export market for the likes of Kaka, […]
Dirk Kuyt – Mr. Duracell and the Last of a Dying Breed
The Dutch have a rich reputation for producing complete footballers. Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard are just a few names that spring to mind. These innovative and silky on the eye players have defined Dutch football over recent decades. Dirk Kuyt is a player that clashes with this trend. He has made […]
Eibar’s battle to become one of La Liga’s established teams
The 2014/15 La Liga season marked the beginning of a fairy tale for the small Basque city of Eibar and its adored football team, SD Eibar. Promotion to Spain’s top flight the season before propelled the club into dreamland, and four years later they are still dreaming. From start to finish, Eibar’s debut campaign featured […]
‘The Death Match: The time FC Start defeated the Nazis at football’
Seventy-five years ago, on 9 August 1942, Kiev side FC Start defeated the Nazis at a game of football. The high of victory over their German oppressors was sobered instantaneously when the Gestapo arrested the entirety of the team in the following weeks. They had just defeated Flakelf, a German military football side consisting of […]
Real Betis’ inconsistent season so far and how they can limit their defensive weaknesses
Real Betis’ season so far in La Liga has been very much stop-start. An inconsistent run of games has hampered a Betis side that, personnel wise, looks like one of its best teams in years. The high of victory over Real Madrid was sobered by defeats such as the embarrassing five-nil loss at Eibar. Although […]