Opinion

Few topics in modern football ignite as much debate as the idea of taking Premier League matches overseas. For years, the Premier League has been celebrated as the most watched and commercially powerful domestic league in the world. With fans tuning in from every corner of the globe, the idea of hosting competitive league games […]

Supporting your team isn’t just about match days. It’s the pre-match pub rituals, arguing with your mates about formations, that nervous energy before kickoff. British football culture runs deep. But being a proper fan also means knowing your limits. Ticket spending, travel costs, entertainment around the game. Smart fans keep things in check. This applies […]

There is something about travelling to support your team that continues to matter to football fans. Away days create a sense of connection, bringing together friends and strangers alike. From early starts to the buzz of stepping into a rival stadium, they carry a unique importance. The trips are not just about the football itself […]

There’s nothing in soccer quite like a free kick. One player standing over the ball, the wall lined up, the keeper yelling orders, with the whole stadium waiting to see if magic’s about to happen. Some guys blast it, some curl it, some make the ball move like it’s remote-controlled. And then there are the […]

Football has transformed dramatically in the digital age, with technology changing how fans experience the beautiful game. Gone are the days when supporters had to wait for the evening news or next day’s papers to learn final scores. Live score updates have changed match following, creating an immediate connection between fans and the action unfolding […]

For football supporters, the urge is to want to watch as much of your team as possible. Although everyone knows that the season proper is the only thing that matters, there is also a reality in which people just want to be able to see their sides playing football matches. That is even more the […]

Speak to any football fan and they will tell you that one of their earliest memories of the sport will be of going to their team’s home ground, walking up the steps and seeing the greenest grass they’d ever seen in their lives before in front of them. That is what football pitches seem to […]

Do you want your son or daughter to become the next Lionel Messi or Marta? If so, then they need to be playing with the right ball. Not doing so could be monumental in preventing them from developing and may lead to injuries. So, here’s a guide to what football to buy for your children […]

There is a significant amount of pressure that professional footballers go through on a weekly basis and it is easy for many to forget the toll that this has on the body, not just physically, but also mentally. It is important for a footballer to ensure that they get the balance right when it comes […]

There is little doubt that when most fans think of Tottenham goals they think of Harry Kane. And the England striker will look to be among the goals once more on Saturday when Spurs host Chelsea in what has to be the pick of the Premier League fixtures of the weekend. But while Mauricio Pochettino’s […]

The video assistant referee (VAR) is a football assistant referee that checks and reviews decisions which are made by the main official of a match with the use of video footage. It has been part of the Italian Serie A for almost a season now and many other football associations are thinking of implementing it […]

The nomadic footballing career of Stig Tofting isn’t perhaps the most glamorous. It isn’t even the most familiar. But when told alongside a life story filled with tragedy and controversy, it’s nothing short of compelling. Throw in some Hells Angels and boxing bout with the guy who sang ‘Barbie Girl’ and it becomes unbelievable. Lawn-mower […]

Born Free Paul Labile Pogba was born 15th March 1993 as a result of a pre-conceived plan by his refugee parents to gain permanent settlement in France. Mother Yeo and Farther Fassou Antoine were part of the mass migration to France, refugees of civil unrest in Guinea. They were advised before landing in France that […]

In Dennis Bergkamp’s biography, Stillness and Speed, he alluded to an over-coaching problem which had been tainting his club, Ajax, at that time. He was working there as Under 19’s assistant manager: “They (the coaches) all have their badges, and they are all very sympathetic and know exactly how to play football and what kind […]

Dethroning a King You’ll be hard-pressed to find a Football fan who hasn’t heard of Kylian Mbappe. Born on the 20th of December 1998 in the town of Bondy, in the region of Seine-Saint-Denis, to an Algerian Mother and Cameroonian Father. Kylian would grow up part of a sporting family, his mother Fayza a Handball […]

So what did I hope to achieve from this article? It would be wonderful if someone was inspired by one of these talented young ladies to even just start a blog, just believe they have the ability and talent to write and follow that dream. The work being done by Derby University sounds excellent and […]

In Part One we looked at the prospects for women writing about football, how under-represented they are and the fantastic work done by Derby University to offer students, male and female, an opportunity to find their way in the industry. With their links to Derby Ladies, the University is well placed to offer females an […]

Why aren’t there more females writing about football? This is a question which has puzzled me for a while now. Journalism, as such, has for years been considered a male dominated environment, and football has had to drag itself kicking and screaming from decades of being a solely male preserve. Football in the UK has […]

England have just won their first match in the Netherlands since they were World Champions. The win in Amsterdam in 1969 was thanks to a late goal from Colin Bell against a side which included wonderful talents such as Johan Cruyff, Rob Rensenbrink, Rudi Krol, although the fact the Dutch brought on Dick van Dijk […]

* In a series of articles, I will be looking at a concept caused by the paradigm of the day and how it has seeped into football, how to spot it, how it affects football, and what football, as a lens, can teach us about the goings on in the broader societal landscape, away from […]