ONCE upon a time, a football cup draw was conducted in an oak-panelled room, cigar smoke swirling, and the reassuring muffled sound of snooker balls being shaken in a velvet bag. It felt like some ancient, secretive ritual, one that … Continue reading Nul points for the Champions League draw
AS WE all know, football has become a global language to such an extent that you could strike up a meaningful conversation with virtually anyone if they are even vaguely interested in the game. That global language extends beyond the … Continue reading Lonely football: Never mind Tuesday night in Stoke, how about Wednesday afternoon in the South Pole?
SAD news from Germany that the most famous footballer to remove England from the World Cup without cheating is no longer with us. Gerd Müller, a legendary figure in the Bayern Munich story, World Cup winner and goalscoring machine, has … Continue reading Grey Neutral Weekly: The very mighty Müller
WHEN you work it out, the last season of normal football was 2018-19 and by the time everything starts again, it will be three years since that last pre-Covid campaign got underway. So that’s the final weeks of 2019-20 and … Continue reading Freedom football: The fan experience may have changed
AS Europe’s international teams close in on the final stages of the 2020 European Championship, the shadow of the European Super League mutiny refuses to disperse. The contribution to Europe’s football strength is underlined in the surviving squads in the … Continue reading The Asian dream may remain elusive for Europe’s corporate clubs
THE POPULAR view is that Europe’s dominant clubs, those with more money, fans and business acumen than their rivals, will never get relegated again. To some extent, closed leagues, the rationale for the aborted European Super League, have almost been … Continue reading Schalke’s relegation – a jolt for big club immunity
