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When Saturday Comes The half decent football magazine

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The Archive

Articles from When Saturday Comes. All 27 years of WSC are in the process of being added. This may take a while.

Guilty pleasures

The money that added flair to Manchester City’s functionality has put Barney Ronay in a quandary

Imagine how boring being a billionaire must be. Not so much the process of becoming a billionaire, which is presumably studded with the thrill of ticking off those billionaire-entry marks: beachhouse-overload, mistress-profligacy, servant-saturation. But just being a billionaire, sealed within your own frictionless seven-star world, conveyed by helicopter gunship from lobby to suite to private island. This must surely be quite dull.

Sunday, January 1st, 2012 - The Archive

Launch of the QEII

Andy Ollerenshaw tells the story of Enfield Town’s new stadium

At the turn of the millennium, fans of Enfield FC saw their beloved football ground bulldozed. But what has happened in the subsequent decade makes for a heartening tale. Formed in 1893, Enfield had a rich and successful history. They played their home games at Southbury Road, an ageing but well-loved 1930s ground, considered by many to be an iconic non-League venue. The sale of Southbury Road in 1999 by Tony Lazarou, who owned the club at the time, initiated a cycle of extraordinary events. Lazarou attempted to rehouse the club at Cheshunt but the move fell through, so for two years the club suffered a nomadic existence, playing at various venues outside the London Borough of Enfield. Fan resentment had already started to grow before the sale of the ground, but the sight of the bulldozers moving into Southbury Road was the final straw for many.

Sunday, January 1st, 2012 - The Archive

Trap door

After their first leg play-off win, Lee Daly reflects on Ireland’s Euro 2012 qualification campaign

Despite the Republic of Ireland scoring four goals in their away victory against Estonia in the first leg of their Euro 2012 play-off, the most ambitious Irish performance of the night was from fan Conor Cunningham. He managed to sneak past security into the stadium and make it onto the pitch, disguised in an Estonian team tracksuit top. Cunningham sat in the home team dugout and celebrated with the Irish players after their victory. He became an overnight media sensation and made several appearances on radio explaining he was as surprised as anyone that he wasn’t found out until after the final whistle.

Sunday, January 1st, 2012 - The Archive

Give and go up

Teams can pass their way into the Premier League, but Adam Bate thinks that the long ball game is the best tactic to keep them there

It all looks set for an interesting battle at the top of the Championship. While Southampton are heralded for their pleasing football under Nigel Adkins, West Ham continue to power on with the arch-pragmatist Sam Allardyce. The prevailing wisdom is that trying to play football is not practical in the Championship. But history suggests you can pass your way to promotion.

Sunday, January 1st, 2012 - The Archive

National disservice

Playing for your country is the peak for most footballers but, as Steve Menary points out, it can come at a cost for lower-league players

For players in the lower leagues, pursuing an international career is a real gamble. The latest international calendar allows for 19 matches over a two-year period ending in 2012. With no automatic suspension of games in the lower divisions, players going on international duty risk losing their place at their clubs.

Sunday, January 1st, 2012 - The Archive

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