Latest Articles
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Football & The Olympic Games: Curious sporting bedfellows
Football has a curious relationship with the Olympic Games, holding a very different place in the hearts of Latin Americans and Europeans – but why?
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Fixing a broken USMNT – an interview with Roberto Rojas
The USMNT is in a bad place; a humiliating Copa America performance just two years out from a huge home World Cup, and now once again searching for a new manager.
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A Summer’s Tale: The Eternal Optimism of the Deluded Football Fan
Football is a prism that warps even the most logical of minds, especially in the warm, hazy days of summer. It’s the hope that kills you, they say…
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Ally & Clive: Football’s Great Orators
With Clive Tyldesley’s emotional departure from ITV duty on Sunday, we celebrate the beautiful chemistry he and partner in crime Ally McCoist, Football’s Great Orators, have produced.
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Manchester City: The biggest club in history – and here’s why
It is one of the most tired narratives that Manchester City have no history; here’s why those naysayers are totally wrong about the modern giants.
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A Deep Dive into Liverpool FC’s Reserve Goalkeepers
Liverpool have been blessed with a myriad of iconic goalkeepers, but what of the men waiting patiently behind them?
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You Won’t Believe What Happened Next: The Truth About Football Will Shock You!
Life as a football fan can be tough, sifting through the mish-mash of rumour, conjecture, and plain silliness – so we gazed into our crystal ball to bring you an insight you can trust. Sort of…
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Calcio Fantasia: The Great Movie Character Showdown
Buongiorno, amici di Calcio Italia! Here we are once again, with an espresso in hand, the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper on the table, and the sun-drenched piazzas of Rome as our backdrop. But today, we take a delightful detour from the green fields of Serie A to an extraordinary realm where movie characters don their…
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FM24: Eachtra Gaelach – Part 6
The drama and tension is almost unbearable as you desperately discover the fate of Your Favourite Irish Team – will Simon saves Finn Harps?
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Scotland: Braveheart of Football
Is it ever acceptable for an Englishman to support Scotland? When club loyalties merge into international football, it just might be.
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Georgia in the Euros: A Tremendous Mistake?
Georgia is just the greatest soccer team, let me tell you, the greatest. In fact, they’re going to win Euro 2024!
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Euro 2004: A Tournament for the Aegeans
Greece may have pulled off the biggest shock in football history by winning Euro 2004, but the joy of some Turkish fans at their success might trump even that.
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FM24: Eachtra Gaelach – Part 5
The Finnisher, 75 fans gutted, Parrott goes crazy – what epic drama awaits? Dive into the latest instalment of your favourite virtual League of Ireland rollercoaster series…
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Striking the Angle | Turncoat Wankers, A Boiled Frog and the State of being Whelmed
What do Declan Rice, an unwitting amphibian and Arne Slot all have in common? Well, nothing directly, except irking our resident grumpy Irishman…
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FM24: Eachtra Gaelach – Part 4
We have a few league games to get under our belts before the next round of the cup and we start away at Dundalk. The Lilywhites from Louth are performing as expected this season which is in the silver medal position. Quite a way behind Shamrock Rovers (aren’t we all!) but building a nice gap…
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Rooney’s Euro 2004: When Wayne ruled the world
“Remember the name, Wayne Rooney!” The above piece of commentary by Clive Tyldesley in October 2002 has aged like a bottle of Barolo. Commentators and supporters alike are fans of superlatives and the hyperbolic. It is oh-so-easy to get excited about a young player. Everyone wants to be the one to ‘discover’ the next big…
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FM24: Eachtra Gaelach – Part 3
We begin where we left off. A visit to UCD resulted in an appalling 2-0 defeat. At this point, I’m looking at a D rating and insecure job status. The next match – Shamrock Rovers at home. Top of the table and reigning champions are coming to town and honestly, we’ve nothing to lose. I…
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FM24: Eachtra Gaelach – Part 2
Media meeting over with, it’s sink or swim time, straight in at the deep end…and other ominous and challenging clichés. First league match is away at Sligo Rovers. Allegedly a local rivalry according to Football Manager despite being 91km and over an hour’s drive away. “Well they’re up there in north, so they are!”, seems…
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Guess who’s back, back again? Malky’s back, hang your head
A decade on from Malky Mackay’s racist WhatsApp message scandal, and he still walks into top football jobs. He says he’s a changed man – but is he?
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From doubters to believers – Boom!
As English football hears the last booming chuckles of Jurgen Klopp, what will his legacy be? What is success? Bryan Moore delves deep into what makes Liverpool’s iconic figure so unforgettable.
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FM24: Eachtra Gaelach – Part 1
The Brits are taking over Ireland! Well, one Brit, taking over a lowly League of Ireland club. In a computer game. Our man Si delves into the rabbit warren of FM24, Finn Harps on a shoestring budget. Welcome to a series like none other…
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Joey Barton…Are You Ok, Hun?
Joey Barton will scream his mysoginistic and racist bile to anyone who will listen. Sadly, many do – but how much of that is down to the dangerously powerful coercion of social media?
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Forge FC: Forging A Dynasty
For a completely new competition, the Canadian Premier League has already thrown up some original character – none more so than Forge FC from Hamilton.
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Shirt sponsor sellouts – a financial road to nowhere
Heart on your sleeve, sponsor on your chest – where’s left for common sense? From iconic branding to senseless money-grabbing, we dive into the logic behind shirt sponsors.
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What’s The Goal Difference: Why a level goal difference is baffling
Annibale Frossi famously said the perfect match would end 0-0, but is every middling side chasing – or attaining – perfection? Jack Wills is not convinced.
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CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote D’Ivoire 2023: Elephants stampede to their kind of glory
The pressure is on Côte d’Ivoire to deliver as hosts of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2023 – what kind of success will they achieve?
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AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Preview
We take a deep dive into all 24 countries taking part in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup kicks off in Qatar on Friday to bring you right up to speed with the world’s second-oldest continental competition.
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Split Loyalties: Can you truly support more than one club?
Football is nothing without the allegiances and emotions it creates, but can you hold more than one club in your heart? Andrew Flint dives deep into the question.
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A.I vs. Football Journalism: Can Chat GPT help or hinder this saturated industry
As the end of the year looms nearer and nearer, I can’t help but get a tad wistful and nostalgic. I think of the year that has concluded, and I think of Christmases past. There’s a bit of a running joke in my family that I don’t like change, which is fair. When my brother…
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Who the hell is Jérôme Capron?
Jérôme Capron became one of the deadliest strikers in AC Milan history on Championship Manager. The question is – did he actually exist? Andrew Flint dipped back into the mists of time to find out.
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VAR – Can the boring curse be cured
VAR is here whether we like it or not, but is there any hope for improving the experience? Jack Wills rants on football’s marmite.
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FA Cup Third Qualifying Round: Five To Follow
The qualification rounds of the Emirates FA Cup are quickly drawing to a conclusion and with only two rounds to go until the competition ‘proper’, many teams will be looking to secure their place in Monday’s fourth qualifying round draw as the promised land of the First Round Proper is within touching distance. These qualifying rounds bring in some…
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Blackburn Rovers & The 5000 Club.
English football history is littered with milestones. The creation of the Premier League; Treble winning seasons of both Manchester Clubs; England winning the World Cup; the creation of the football league itself. In 1888, Scotsman William McGregor founded the football league and 12 clubs began playing each other home and away. These clubs were Accrington,…
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Chelsea’s #9 Curse: The highs and lows of the 21st century
The number 9 shirt at Chelsea FC, in the 21st century anyway, seems to have carried an unusual curse… A succession of predominantly high-profile players have donned the now infamous jersey and faced challenges and struggles. From high-profile signings to promising talents, each wearer encountered difficulties that resulted in their usual goal-scoring prowess waning, in…
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Celebrations, Commiserations and Embarrassing Ignorance.
Colombia beat Germany There is just something about seeing Germany get beat. Being English, it is something of a rarity to see the Three Lions triumph over their historic rivals but it does occasionally happen and when it does it just feels good. Germany are obviously a heavyweight among footballing nations, regardless of gender. Although…
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The Greatest Penalty Shootout Ever?
Is there anything that epitomises tournament football more than withstanding 120 minutes of attack after attack from arguably the best team in the world and knocking them out on penalties in the most dramatic fashion? That is what Sweden have just delivered against USA. We’ve all seen some absolutely belting penalty shootouts over the years.…
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Women’s World Cup: The Story So Far
As the Women’s World Cup kicks off, here are five stories that have piqued our interest in the run-up to the tournament itself.
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Summer transfers 2023, Saudi spending, hypocrisy, and optimism
Lionel Messi rejected a sensational return to the Camp Nou to join MLS side Inter Miami. Karim Benzema leaves the Champions League powerhouse Real Madrid to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad, and Jordan Henderson at the ripe old age of 33 is on the verge of cashing in his morals for one final payday. For…
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Football Writers: Join us on our search for the Heart of Football
We are a writing community at heart, and would love for you to join us – we don’t demand a whopping great CV, but we do expect a desire to find good stories.
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The Island Games
You may or may not be familiar with the Island Games; I wasn’t. I stumbled across them while researching another competition of the same name – the second season of the Canadian Premier League which was held in the isolated location of Prince Edward Island under the strict shackles of Covid restrictions. Once I had…
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Football everything everywhere all at once – Give us fans a break!
Football football football football football…
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What’s Happening In Canada?
Domestic & International Football & Atiba Hutchinson
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When Is A League Not A League?
There is a world outside of football. There are footballs outside of football. It was while watching the final of a different kind of football that a thought crept inside your weary narrator’s mind. When is a league not a league and can football learn a few things from other sports? While glued to the…
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Football & Betting – Who Would Have Thought
It’s like rain on your wedding day, a free ride when you’ve already paid. It is of course the weird and ironic relationship football has with the world of betting. A relationship that is not only ironic but extremely unfortunate. Who would have thought … As the dust settles on the revelation that Brentford and…
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The Humble Caretaker
The caretaker manager deserves more respect, that much is clear. We as football fans should never underestimate their sacrifice to the sport we love and the clubs we hold dear, as Simon Toye argues.
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Welcome to Wrexham – The gang buys a club, and inherits a community
Welcome to Wrexham: Be honest, when two Hollywood icons took over non-league Wrexham, you didn’t expect to actually fall in love with the story did you? As Jack Wills explains, expect the unexpected.
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Should You Ever Go Back To The Future?
Show me a tribe of supporters calling for the manager’s head and I’ll show you the same tribe wishing they could turn the clock back and reappoint the coach they hounded out. Although, they’ll swear blind that they never slagged them off in the first place and it was all the other so-called fans. But…
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A Tale of Two Illegal Streamers
We live in a time where all the information about everything that has ever happened is available at a second’s notice from your pocket…there are two types of people who stream sports illegally.
Heart of Football 