Latest Articles
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Matchdays: Maracanã
Fluminense 1-1 Ceará. Tuesday 16 July 2019, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Maracanã. Brazil’s home of football and perhaps the world’s most famous stadium. The national stage, which turned generational greats like Pelé, Romario and Ronaldo into legends. Much to the jealousy of friends and family back in the UK, I had the chance to…
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The Importance of the Scottish Cup
Celtic. Celtic. Celtic. Celtic. Celtic. Celtic. Celtic. Celtic. Rangers. Rangers. Rangers. Celtic. Celtic. Celtic. Rangers. Celtic. Rangers. Celtic. Celtic. Rangers. Rangers. Celtic. Rangers. Rangers. Rangers. Rangers. Rangers. Rangers. Rangers. Rangers. Rangers. Celtic. Rangers. Celtic. How was that? Boring? Monotonous? That is the list of the winners of the Scottish top-flight over the last three decades.…
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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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Juan Carlos Valerón: The bad luck & timing of Super Depor’s genius
Even prior to the national team’s Euro 2008 triumph, Spain was always respected as a producer of fine footballers. One of the greatest set of players to fail to fulfil the country’s football potential was the 1990s and millennial generation: Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Miguel Ángel Nadal, Fernando Hierro, Albert Ferrer, Fernando Morientes, Joseba Exteberría…
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Interview: FK Vojvodina Academy Director Duško Grujić
The third and final interview of our series around Serbia’s prestigious FK Vojvodina involves the club’s Academy Director, Duško Grujić. Born near Novi Sad back in the 1970s, and a centre-back in his playing days, Grujić is currently the man responsible for bringing the next generation of talents at Vojvodina to the mainstream. Starting off…
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Interview: Napredak Kruševac’s Aleksandar Mesarović
Note for the reader: this interview was originally conducted in October 2018, when the player was at FK Vojvodina, however most of the information stays relevant to the current day. Though Serbia is outside the spectrum of most football fans when it comes to watching the sport, the fact that the Balkan nation has produced…
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Interview: FK Vojvodina’s Miloš Subotin
The job of the PR manager of any football club is often underappreciated. Not only are they tasked with preserving and improving the identity of a sporting organisation, their duties and decisions often impact entire communities, cities, and even nations. Some PR managers spend more time than the players, coaches and directors at the club…
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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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The Enduring Appeal of Football’s TV Intro Music
Matchdays: nothing beats them. For home fans, that familiar walk down streets to your club’s stadium ready for Saturday at 3pm. For away fans, early morning wake-ups, lunch boxes packed with sandwiches, hot flasks, boarding a supporters’ coach and pre-match drinks and songs in a pub with hundreds of your fellow fans. Win, draw or…
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CM/FM Legends: Tom Youngs
Not many (rugby players) can claim to have shared a dressing room with Trevor Benjamin. Fewer still can claim to have outranked him in terms of fame and notoriety. Tom Youngs is different; not your typical footballer. “Even though I was 18 and had only played about 15 games, mostly as a sub in League…
Heart of Football 