Nov 21, 2021 | Football Writing
“It is said that the darkest hour of the night comes just before the dawn.” Those are the words of 15th Century historian Thomas Fuller but they remain as prescient today as they did when he first published them in 1650. Modern wisdom applies them as a reminder that,...
Nov 21, 2021 | Football Writing
The journalist Tim Vickery, who is an expert on South American football, regularly defines the role of a Head Coach or Manager as being broken down into three main tasks; “He selects the team, prepares the strategy – and he also sets the emotional tone for the...
Nov 21, 2021 | Football Writing
If “a week is a long time in politics”, as the saying goes, then it must be an eternity in football. This time last week, I was writing my notes for Saturday’s programme and trying to skirt around the fact that I had no idea who our new manager might be, or when they...
Nov 21, 2021 | Football Writing
“There’s always someone worse off.” My Nana used to tell me that whenever our weekly phone conversations had been hijacked by some tale of woe. Too skint to get that ticket to see your favourite band? Chucked by the girl you were seeing? Work not going well? “There’s...
Nov 21, 2021 | Football Writing
It’s been a quiet few weeks, hasn’t it? Normally, it’s the last one out who turns out the lights, but a bewildering sequence of events which started with a floodlight failure brings us into this afternoon’s game against Colne having parted ways with the First Team...
Nov 21, 2021 | Football Writing
So, it’s FA Cup day once again here at the IP Truck Parts Stadium and for Cables’ third tie of this season’s competition, we take on higher-level opposition. For the first time in the 2021-22 tournament, Cables have been cast as David, having been the (relative)...
Nov 21, 2021 | Football Writing
If you’re active on social media, you’ve almost certainly seen a controversial job advert placed by AFC Fylde. The National League North club are looking for a new General Manager to work alongside the Director of Football. The Coasters are seeking someone with a...
Sep 19, 2021 | The Main Blog
In a half-arsed attempt to be vaguely topical, this week’s Reading the Game is The Fix by James Dixon, which explores the first season of Champions League football. Of course, my cause isn’t helped by the fact that the opening round of games in what used to be the...
Sep 11, 2021 | Football Writing
Wasn’t last Saturday great? The match with Campion had a bit of everything – some excellent goals, a peculiar sending-off, the fear of a ‘giant-killing’, biblical weather and a dramatic late winner. Plus, it felt like a good day off the park too; the refurbished bar...
Sep 11, 2021 | Football Writing
I know it’s early in the season to describe any fixture as a “big game”, but that’s precisely what this afternoon’s match is. There is no tournament quite like The FA Cup. No football competition is older; the FA Cup was established 150 years ago last month. None...
