wsc_user | When Saturday Comes

Parental guidance

Damon Green warns that sparing your kids when choosing their team will only spoil their heritage

A colleague at work, drawn and tired, complained to me recently that he doesn’t want his son to grow up supporting his team. Their performances have been so shameful and the management of the club has been so dire that he would be ashamed to pass on such a legacy. I looked at him for a second, then laughed in his face. He supports Arsenal.

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 - The Archive

Legal aid

The England captain’s defeat in a privacy action has set a worrying precedent for high-profile footballers, says Nick McAleenan

Are footballers “role models”? This question invariably reappears when a player’s behaviour is called into question. Anecdotal experience tells us that on-field antics are frequently copied: the upturned Cantona collar, the (attempted) Ronaldo step-over, the Klinsmann dive, “words” with the ref. Equally, footballers’ off-field activities have always attracted public attention. Step forward Mario Balotelli, firework safety spokesman and Manchester City enigma.

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 - Book reviews

Moral high ground

A controversial exit from Celtic has angered the Scottish club, but Graham Davidson asks if they have the right to feel aggrieved

It has never been unusual for Scottish players to move south at an early age. Denis Law and Billy Bremner never kicked a ball in club football at home, while more recently Darren Fletcher arrived in Manchester before he was a teenager. None of these moves, however, generated the publicity recently given to Islam Feruz’s decision to move from Celtic to Chelsea.

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 - Book reviews

Live and kicking

A pub landlady’s legal victory over the Premier League could be good news for all concerned, but we shouldn’t worry too much about negative consequences for Sky, claims David Harrison

Once the knee-jerk media response to the recent ruling on EU televised football rights died down, we were left with a commodity notably lacking during the broadcasts in question – silence. Predictably lazy images – grinning pub landlady pulls celebratory pints in Southsea boozer – were duly filed below celebratory headlines proclaiming Karen Murphy’s “victory” in the European Court of Justice. Well, possibly.

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 - The Archive

Keeping in touch

According to James de Mellow, televising 3pm kick-offs could rob fans of the particular excitement of Saturday afternoon

One of British football’s idiosyncrasies is that at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, when the majority of weekend’s games are being played, there is no live football on television. The way supporters who are not at their team’s game can follow along has evolved with technology during the past 20 years or so. But live Saturday afternoon football being beamed into living rooms could change all that for good.

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 - The Archive

Author Archive

Parental guidance

Damon Green warns that sparing your kids when choosing their team will only spoil their heritage

Legal aid

The England captain’s defeat in a privacy action has set a worrying precedent for high-profile footballers, says Nick McAleenan

Moral high ground

A controversial exit from Celtic has angered the Scottish club, but Graham Davidson asks if they have the right to feel aggrieved

Live and kicking

A pub landlady’s legal victory over the Premier League could be good news for all concerned, but we shouldn’t worry too much about negative consequences for Sky, claims David Harrison

Keeping in touch

According to James de Mellow, televising 3pm kick-offs could rob fans of the particular excitement of Saturday afternoon