YOUNG BOYS Bern look as though they’re about to end the monopoly that Basel have had on football in Switzerland for almost a decade. The two teams drew 2-2 at the Stade de Suisse over Easter as Young Boys maintained a 16-point lead over reigning champions Basel. Young Boys led twice in a game considered […]
Loyalty at Chesham United, March 2018. Heads at Halmstad – July 2015 Bohemian Rhapsody – Prague, March 2016 A long way from home, Marske fans at Bracknell, February 2018 Yokohama souvenirs, April 2017 What’s the score? Porto, March 2017 Fradi fans in Bordeaux, June 2016 Young Boys, Bern – August 2016
AS we head towards the inevitable European super league, the rest of the continent’s clubs must be wondering what lies in store for those that find themselves excluded from the great gravy train that will emerge from a future shake-up of football. It would be easy for onlookers to only see a landscape that is […]
THERE’S a nice reminder that Bern once played host to the World Cup final. In 1954, “Das wunder von Bern” took place – West Germany beating the people’s favourites, Hungary – Ferenc Puskas and all. They’ve reconditioned the clock that stood in the Wankdorf Stadium on that memorable afternoon. “The wonder of Bern” is certainly […]
NOT all capital cities form the seat of power in European football. Italy has long been dominated by the northern powerhouses of Milan and Turin; Germany has never really had a capital city giant but looks to Munich for its footballing impetus; France has, historically, struggled to position Paris as the centre of its domestic […]
ON Saturday August 20, Young Boys of Bern thrashed Lausanne 7-2 in the Stade de Suisse. It was entertaining, if error-strewn stuff. The crowd, 15,000 – more than 10% of the Swiss capital’s population was sent home happy, apart from the small gathering of Lausanne fans perched in the top corner of the ground. I’ve […]
IF JULES RIMET had got his way earlier, and the first World Cup had taken place in 1926, there’s a good chance that Switzerland might have been among the contenders. Given the recent history of the Swiss national team, that might seem like a bold statement, but for a brief moment in time, Switzerland could […]
There was never a better time to visit Zurich. The world was watching as FIFA’s heady mixture of cronyism and corruption unfolded in the newspapers, online and across our TV screens. As a result, flights to “the big small town” were packed, hotels brimming and journalists and photographers jockeying for position to see a king […]
We’re familiar with what’s going on in the big five football leagues: the English Premier; La Liga; the Bundesliga; Serie A and Ligue 1. But what about some of the lower profile competitions, leagues that contains some big names from a more democratic age? There’s no doubt that some familiar names are running the show […]
