Reviews from When Saturday Comes. Follow the link to buy the book from Amazon.
Chris Taylor’s dreams of watching Juan Sebastian Verón turn into an evening comtemplating has-been celebrities, at a typical reserve match
I had not expected to be discussing the members of Take That while stood on the Popular Side terrace at Altrincham’s Moss Lane ground.
Alex Wolstenholme wonders if the introduction of age restrictions could reinvigorate the reserves in England as they have done north of the border
Watching the reserves is a journey into a world both instantly recognisable and yet strangely unfamiliar. The setting, the kits and often the players are the same, but there’s something missing that can be found at almost every other level of the game where a league title is played for. The fortunes of the stiffs are never a major cause of concern for fans. That part of the programme where one of the club’s ex-pros (and now second-team boss) gives his match report from the latest reserve game has never been required reading.
Wolves' promotion to the top flight is going to cost them. Jim Heath explains how
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ return to top-flight English football has come at a cost. In addition to the well publicised investment club owner Sir Jack Hayward has made over the last decade, he is now having to make payments to Swindon Town, Charlton Athletic, Sunderland and Coventry City – adding up to the tidy sum of around £1.5 million. Not bad for a now depressed market. This all stems from add-on clauses to the original fees Wolves paid for players, which would only be activated if and when promotion was finally achieved. So, Shaun Newton suddenly becomes a million-pound player overnight – his original £850,000 fee from when Wolves bought him from Charlton in August 2001 has just increased by some £300,000. Similar increments are due to the others for George Ndah, Alex Rae, Paul Butler and Cédric Roussel. Which is fair enough, as during the season they have all made a big contribution to the overall objective of promotion. Except, that is, Cédric Roussel.
In South Yorkshire fans are copying AFC Wimbledon after becoming frustrated with directors, writes Joe Quimby
Disillusioned fans of Second Division Barnsley have formed a new club, taking its inspiration from AFC Wimbledon. AFC Barnsley announced their intention to forge ahead on their own terms, following the move made by disenfranchised supporters of the London club, because of reservations over the intentions of the Reds’ new owners.
Bedfordshire is in shock at some dramatic upheavels, writes Neil Rose
It was all going so well. After a decade of decline, Luton Town were on the up. A high-profile manager had won promotion from the Third Division and followed it with a good season in the Second. A Luton legend was his right-hand man. The wealthy owner clearly loved the club. Then, in a dizzying week, Joe Kinnear, Mick Harford and Mike Watson-Challis all went.