The Archive

Isobel Lee was on the Curva Sud at the Stadio Olimpico when the recent derby was abandoned. Here she describes the atmosphere that night as the rumours flew

I’m too young to remember the 1970s, but in the Cur­va Sud of Rome’s Stadio Olimpico I wonder if English football was like this 30 years ago. It is com­plete chaos. The curva holds about 10,000 fans but it seems like 20,000 have got in, climbing over from other sections, or persuading God-knows-who to let them into the ground. You had to get here two hours ago to have a hope of a seat. Now it’s standing room only on the steps and no one can move up or down because all the gang­ways are blocked. More are still trying to get in. 

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It's a blow to his wife but good news for his credit-card company: Ian Plenderleith has been able to use the internet to further his collection of desperately obscure, occasionally sweat-stained, football jerseys

Borussia Mönchengladbach home, 1997. China, 2002. Sparta Prague home, 2003. Italy, 1994. Glasgow Rangers away, 1992. Various Scotland horror kits with purple lightning flashes or in blinding orangey-pink. Too many Lincoln Citys to mention. Galatasaray home (Istanbul market bootleg), with “Revivo” and No 10 on the back. I wouldn’t say I’m proud of them, but the above are just a part of my undeniable replica-shirt collection.

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Once upon a time Dave Boyle found the idea of squad numbers exotic, but recent galloping inflation has caused him to question his own and football's sanity, while Barney Ronay has been looking into the wider history of the numbers game

The first leg defeat of Manchester United by Porto was the moment when I realised that football had, beyond all reasonable doubt, gone mad.

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The retirement at 27 of the former Republic of Ireland starlet leaves Dave Hannigan wondering how someone so injury-prone and arrogant could be strangely likeable

Nothing became Keith O’Neill quite like the manner of his leaving. The last line of the statement he issued when announcing his departure from Coventry City last October read: “I retire content that I have had the opportunity to play football for the greatest nation in the world.” Thirteen times he represented Ireland and on 25 more occasions he pulled out of the squad through injury. His parting shot (did the football world really need an official press release about his status?) was so grandiose it was actually charming, and arguably the perfect metaphor for the 27-year-old’s career. O’Neill always talked a lot better game than his injury-prone body ever allowed him to play.

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It's not just the English who have trouble with players breaking curfew or wayward young stars, writes Justin McCurry

Though the media spotlight was firmly on the squad of Japan players preparing for their second World Cup qualifying match, away to Singapore at the end of March, it was difficult not to think, too, of the players who had been left behind. Their omission was not down to injury, poor form, family crises or intransigent club managers, but a badly timed bout of the “English disease” of training-camp indiscipline.

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