Author Archive

Tom Hunt examines the problems in the first year of Europe's revamped club competition – and how UEFA aren't really helping

When David Moyes reflects on Everton’s inaugural Europa League campaign, it will not only be the feeble 3-0 surrender at Sporting Lisbon that gets his hackles rising. The curious case of the Blues’ 5.45pm kick-off in the first leg of their round of 32 tie against Sporting on February 16 will have left a sour aftertaste too. Moyes was unhappy that Everton were forced into an unusual tea-time start and went so far as to accuse UEFA of “diminishing” their own competition. Not the best publicity for a tournament struggling to convince people of its worth but Moyes, who had consistently fielded his strongest team in it, warranted some sympathy.

Read more…

Bottom of the league with no points from 27 matches in the Unibond Premier Division, Owen Amos takes a look at what has gone wrong for the ambitious Durham City

According to the Northern Echo, Durham City are “the worst team in the country”. While that may not be true, they are by some distance the worst team in the Unibond Premier Division, one step below the Conference North. After 27 games, Durham had won none, drawn none and lost 27. They’d scored 16 goals and conceded 121, an average of over four per game. In fact, the only match they’ve won all season was at home to Washington – who play three divisions below – in the Durham County Challenge Cup.

Read more…

Ian Plenderleith clicks around the web to try to decide whether the football writing on there is worth his money, or if it should remain free to all

How much would you pay to read football journalism online? It’s a question that’s taxed the media ever since the internet quickly meta­morphosed from a content free-for-all to a platform with endless commercial opportunities. Several cases illustrate the way that online content could go over the next few years.

Read more…

When Keith Alexander passed away on March 3, 2010, football lost one of its nice guys. Rob Bradley pays tribute to a true gentleman of the game

From 2000 to 2005 I was chair of Lincoln City Supporters Trust and chairman of the club. For three of those years Keith Alexander was our manager and I got to know him well. Keith liked his sayings. We liked them too. They lifted us when the finances were bad or when we were worried about the results. “We’ll be there or thereabouts,” was his favourite. And our favourite too because it reassured us when the going had got tough. Or had got even tougher.

Read more…

The disappearance of Chester City from our Saturday afternoons in 2010 highlighted the problems with the football authorities' safeguards for clubs. WSC took a look at what went wrong and what should be done to make sure it doesn't happen again

In the build-up to this year’s Carling Cup final, there were several mentions made of one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history. This was in 1975 when reigning League champions Leeds were beaten 3-0 in the quarter-finals by Fourth Division Chester, who lost to Aston Villa in the semis. Two days before this year’s final, Chester were expelled from the Conference and have sinced ceased to exist.

Read more…