WITH nobody allowed near a Premier League turnstile and everyone being advised to adopt a simpler, more fulfilling life while they refrain from breathing the same air as their neighbour, non-league football may have a golden opportunity to win more friends and influence for folk. When a magazine like Monocle, a pretentious coffee table monthly […]
Tag: Corona virus
Bundesliga deserves our best wishes as the world watches
SOUTH KOREA and the Faroe Islands started the ball rolling, but the football world will be closely watching how Germany’s Bundesliga fares next weekend. We want it to go well, if only because a setback – and the news of Dynamo Dresden’s isolation is a jolt to confidence – will send FIFA, UEFA and every […]
Football in the post-virus environment: Old habits disappearing?
FOOTBALL’s enforced absence may seem trivial compared to the losses and suffering endured by people at the sharp end of the pandemic, but the crisis has the potential to transform the industry and leave it compromised by a wave of economic destruction. If it was just about the financial damage, then the game undoubtedly has […]
Non-League should use coronavirus as a time for reinvention
FOOTBALL clubs at all levels are feeling the squeeze at the moment. When you hear that a huge organisation like Barcelona is having financial pressure and their players have taken a pay cut, then you know the game is in a precarious state. Just six weeks without football and some clubs are already staring into […]
Safe-distance football terracing – a post-virus solution?
JUST before the UK government locked down the nation and brought football to a close, I visited Salford City and indulged in something of a rare experience – standing on the terraces at a Football League game. Like many fans, I graduated from the crumbling terraces at my favourite club, Chelsea, and invested increasingly greater […]
Burnley – keep calm and avoid the tabloids
ACCORDING TO some red top papers, Burnley are going to be bankrupt in August. There’s no denying that football at all levels is going to face a financial squeeze in the coming months as revenue streams dry-up, but Burnley’s position is arguably no different than many clubs and indeed better than most. “Football clubs should […]
Furlough furore shows Premier League clubs need to focus more on reputation
SOME FOOTBALL clubs claim to be closely aligned to their community and understand the state of the nation. Indeed, some pride themselves on being representative of their city or town. Sometimes, though, it is hard to believe clubs really know what they are doing and why they think they can make insensitive decisions and avoid […]
Football post-virus: Old habits may disappear
FOOTBALL’s enforced absence may seem trivial compared to the losses and suffering endured by people at the sharp end of the pandemic, but the crisis has the potential to transform the industry and leave it compromised by a wave of economic destruction. If it was just about the financial damage, then the game undoubtedly has […]
Away days could be a thing of the past for football
IN SOME countries, there is a limited away-fan culture and visiting supporters are often in small numbers when they do turn up. Just look at some Spanish and Italian games and see if you can identify the small band of flag-wavers penned into a miniscule section high in the stadium, often outnumbered by burly stewards […]