CATEGORIES
Pirate Transmission
Broadcasters around the world are paying huge sums to screen football, but they will not be willing to invest if they cannot be protected.
Scandi Drama
Years before it was screened live in the UK, England’s Football League was building a cult following abroad thanks to a visionary broadcaster.
Pot Of Gold
A rare meeting between two local rivals brought FA Cup fever – and a useful financial boost – to one corner of Hertfordshire
Digital Divide
From earnest post-match punditry to being used in actual players’ matchday preparations, the virtual game is becoming increasingly blurred with reality.
Haringey Ladder
The decision to walk off in the face of abuse has shone a national spotlight on a community club with a progressive approach
Bournemouth 0 Norwich City 0
Dean Court may have received a Premier League facelift but against today’s visitors the home team fail to live up to their status, although the low-quality draw they play out is still somehow reassuring.
Room With A View
Hampden Park
Not In The Script
ARSENAL FILM
Out Of Place...
After another unsuccessful qualifying attempt Martin O’Neill is under pressure, while a poor Republic of Ireland squad is only getting weaker
Uncomfortable Truth
At the end of April Sheffield United surprised many people by re-signing Ched Evans, who, following a retrial, has now been found not guilty of the rape charge for which he spent two-and-a-half years in prison.
Flushing Meadow
Amid the anger at the stadium’s sale, wild rumours of future plans and disagreements over whether Leatherhead was too far for an indefinite period of groundsharing (there was a banner), Kingstonian’s final game at Kingsmeadow snuck up on many, K’s fans or otherwise.
Top dogs
Easter weekend in Hamburg and, at a large kulturhaus called Kampnagel, one of the more inclusive football tournaments is starting.
VAR fetched
Video technology was hailed as the saviour of football, until the next day when it was a shambles. Maybe the change we really need is in the culture of blaming the referee.
Enigma code
It was in October 2010 that Rio Ferdinand wrote an open letter in support of England’s ultimately doomed World Cup bid.
Nations Saving Grace
UEFA could never be accused of favouring the smaller nations when devising the qualifying procedures of the Champions League.
Holt – Who Goes There
Accrington Stanley are perpetually the 91st-best-supported team in the top four divisions but their owner is optimistic for the club’s future – though he isn’t so glowing about those who run the game in general.
Nice One Cyrille
A raw talent who thrilled crowds, Cyrille Regis overcame vicious racism to begin changing attitudes and inspire later generations of black players.
Diverse views
Managers from BAME backgrounds should naturally be emerging but they are still being held back, so the FA are finally stepping in to improve the situation.
Stars In Their Eyes
From cricketers to athletes, plenty of sportsmen have tried to carve out a career in football – though few have switched disciplines with much success.
Unknown Fate
Manchester United were not the only team to be devastated by the Munich air disaster – England also lost some of their best players, changing the course of the 1958 World Cup and, potentially, the whole national game.
Triple Threat
The winners may have been predictable, and many of the owners dodgy, but there was plenty to enjoy in 2016-17.
Shay Engine
After years of struggle to remain in it, Halifax are finally enjoying life outside the League.
Moyes Don't Cry
Sunderland’s latest manager struggled from the start at the Stadium of Light, and relegation to the Championship is evidence of the club’s more long-term problems.
Cathartic Release
Fifty years on from the demise of one of Scotland’s earliest champions, there is a hope that Third Lanark will return to the country’s senior leagues.
Fighting An Uphill Battle
Many people make sacrifices to become professional footballers, but the mental strain it takes to block out everything else in life can cause long-term damage, especially when players reach retirement.
Roman Legions
Below the world famous rivalry between the Italian capital’s biggest two teams are plenty of others battling to become the city’s “third” club, their histories full of struggles to establish themselves in a tough environment.
The Wembley Way
What have a Spartan South Midlands League club and the FA got in common? Too much, according to the latter.
Panic Measures
Swansea reached the Premier League by doing things differently but they are now becoming just another struggler flitting between managers.
Pros And Cons
Changes to the women’s game are intended to make it more competitive but instead increase its reliance on rich men’s clubs.
Barnet 2 Morecambe 1
Barnet are in a swish new stadium with facilities that feel far above the football their forlorn team are playing. Still, Morecambe are also struggling so there is always hope – and if all else fails, a nice warm bar for supporters.