Author: Andrew Flint
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AFCON Interview EXCLUSIVE with Uri Levy
Arguably one of the most misunderstood and disrespected international tournaments, the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off amidst the all-too predictable swirl of sneers and misconceptions. To help us dissect the meaning and nuances of Africa’s grandest stage we spoke to Uri Levy, founder of Babagol – the legendary football content Mecca – and correspondent…
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Euro 2020 Round Table: The aftermath
It’s probably safe to say Euro 2020 has been a tournament like none other for so many reasons, but in the end we got there! Records tumbled, borders were crossed many times over, and Football FINALLY/ALMOST came home… Our panel discussed how our pre-tournament predictions went – some monstrous ones in there – the biggest…
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EDITORIAL: Black Lives Matter pre-match protests – To take a knee, or not to take a knee?
Across this tournament, aside from the insane drama and oh-so-nears, there has been a constant undercurrent of a wider societal issue that has touched the whole world in one way or another: the Black Lives Matter protest of taking a knee. Gareth Southgate sat down with his squad before the tournament and asked them whether…
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Football’s Coming Home: The swirling enigma of England’s iconic football song
Rose-tinted glasses are wonderful. Those heady days of legging it up from football practice into the playground, desperately scrabbling through the parked cars and wondering faces for a sign of Spain’s penalties; Psycho’s bulging arteries; Uri Geller; back when we actually thought peroxide was the height of fashion, and Karel Poborsky’s wavy unkempt curls most…
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Russia, the Euros and Me
When you get rejected by a budget supermarket chain for a shelf-stacking job, you know it’s time to switch focus; that was my position 12 years ago after finishing journalism college, so I looked abroad for opportunities. I knew nothing of Russian culture or the football other than the UEFA Cup wins in 2005 and…
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Euro 2020 Round Table: Winners, dark horses, flops, top scorers, fondest memories
With what will surely go down as one of the more unusual European Championships after the year-long delay due to the global pandemic, not to mention the pan-continental set-up with games played from Azerbaijan to London, we sat down to discuss the key names we expect to turn up. Bryan Moore, Jack Wills, Andrew McAlister,…
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Matchdays: Pyongyang
By Rishi Chowdhury 4pm, 08 October 2015 – Kim Il Sung Stadium – Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea One hour in North Korea (DPRK) and I’m outside the Kim Il Sung Stadium, being handed a ticket to watch a 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier between North Korea and Philippines. Earlier that day in Beijing…
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Interview: John Ludden, author of Matt & Jimmy
In 1958, Manchester United could almost touch the top of the world. The culmination of over a decade of cultivating the most authentic, hungry and talented footballers was spine-tingling; before setting off to Belgrade to take on Red Star in the European Cup quarter final they had mesmerised Highbury with a swashbuckling 5-4 thriller. A…
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From Russia With Love: Francisco Cagigao, Southend United, CM 93/94 & me
The English football brand is arguably the strongest when it comes to commercial revenue and TV deals abroad. The last package agreed for the 2019-2022 cycle was said to be 30% more valuable. With the instant channels of communication available to virtually every corner of the planet it isn’t hard to expand into previously untapped…
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Debate – The modern game
1. Fan Cams have exploded into the mainstream conscience in recent years; are they a parasite exploiting the clickbait culture, or a genuine voice of the fans? Richard Pike: Whilst some fans on the programmes do make some decent observations and I understand why they exist, Im not a huge fan of the Fan TV…
Heart of Football 