 Saturday 4 July ~
English players are often criticised for being insular, failing to take the chance of playing overseas and preferring to rot away on silly money in the reserves. Despite the relative successes of David Beckham and Matt Derbyshire, who has made his move to Greek champions Olympiacos permanent, there are no other Englishmen playing in major leagues in Europe. It might come as a surprise therefore to discover that there are some 200 Englishmen playing and coaching outside the UK.
|
|
Read more
|
 |
 Friday 3 July ~
He was an experienced international striker with an outstanding goals-per-game ratio, but signing him still represented a gamble for Man Utd's wily Scottish manager. He might come off the bench to score against Hull but a young reserve striker could do that. In the event, 32-year-old Welsh forward Ron Davies didn't find the net in United's 2-0 win over the Tigers or in any of his other eight appearances in the club's Division Two season of 1974-75. But that scarcely mattered – United clinched the title with several weeks to spare. Davies, signed on a free transfer from Portsmouth, left the same way for Millwall in November 1975.
|
|
Read more
|
|
 Thursday 2 July ~
Livingston are on the verge of entering administration after West Lothian council started proceedings against the club. They had similar problems five years ago, as Neil White reported in WSC 207 (May 2004)
His side had just reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup and won the CIS League Cup, their first major trophy, yet the man I know only as “Deasel” sounded depressed. It was understandable. Deasel supports Livingston.
|
|
Read more
|
|
|
Stuart Pearce's dark side |
 Wednesday 1 July ~
There are two types of articles written about Stuart Pearce these days. The first focuses on how the man known as "Psycho" in his playing days still applies the same level of intensity and competitiveness to his job as a coach. The second claims that there is a side to Pearce that we rarely get to hear about – the thoughtful, quietly spoken man who always takes a keen interest in the cultures of the countries he visits.
|
|
Read more
|
|
|
Man City throw money at Samuel Eto'o |
 Tuesday 30 June ~
The website Popbitch once ran a survey to find the most ridiculous backstage “rider” asked for by a celebrity. By common consent Maria Carey, notorious for making outrageous demands, was the winner with a request for "some cute puppies" to be distributed around her scented candle-filled dressing room, where they would presumably be expected to gambol engagingly rather than crouch in the corners cocking their legs. In such circumstances, you wonder who looks more ridiculous – the person making the demands or the people who cave in to them. Which brings us to Samuel Eto'o.
|
|
Read more
|
|
|
|
