FOOTBALL fans consider the club stadium as an extension of their personal space. They go misty-eyed when they talk about the terraces they once stood on, the end of the ground they occupied and they stick very close to a long-established ritual of going to the match. The stadium is “home”, integral to the club’s image, identity and culture. Any attempt to relocate often meets … Continue reading New stadiums for old – reinventing a club
WHEN is a young player not a young player? Raheem Sterling, aged 24, 49 caps for England and over 300 first-class appearances. Surely, a young player is, first of all, somebody who is on the way up, still growing and potential-rich. Given there are currently a batch of players who are indeed in the ascendancy, the PFA giving it to Sterling suggests a lack of … Continue reading Scene it, won it, got the eco t-shirt
FOOTBALL fans, by and large, are nostalgists, especially those that remember the days when pitches were muddy, shirts were not emblazoned with multiple sponsors, and football managers actually said something meaningful in post-match interviews. Ask any non-league fan, for example, their favourite locations and they will invariably tell you the old wooden ground at Clapped-out Rovers is full of character and “proper”. At the same … Continue reading Old and new… both should always have their place
ONE of the notable features of the 2018 World Cup has been the stadiums, many of which were completed just a few months before the competition got underway. Most are new constructions, with the most expensive being St. Petersburg, coming in at around USD 1.5 bn. Any nation that wins the right to stage a major sporting event has to undergo an overhaul of its … Continue reading Science and art: Today’s football homes
