Despite a successful season, not everyone is impressed with Sunderland. Joe Boyle looks at how the club has reacted to accusations of racism in the stands
Perhaps Sunderland have had it a bit too good recently: top of the league by miles, a cup semi-final, a media-friendly boss, a superb, packed stadium and a favourable press.
Nigel Harris wants to know why Wales have to play their home matches in England
What major football debate have you had recently? How about a manager being sacked partly due to mass hysteria about his personal beliefs? The merits of someone being able to manage club and country? The reality of per-pay-view football? An FA Cup match effectively being declared null and void? All worthy topics, but what about the British international team barred from playing a match in its own country?
Manchester City fans have high hopes for the Millennium Stadium. Ashley Shaw wonders why
At one stage Maine Road possessed the tallest floodlights in English football, but with the advent of super stadia the place has come to resemble a relic – a reminder of the club’s glory days.
Andrew Turton explains why Cardiff's new stadium is not popular locally
The Cardiff Millennium Stadium. Can words describe this towering edifice? It’s enormous, magnificent, a technological wonder. It’s also a white elephant and a stark reminder, if one were needed, of the power of rugby in this city.
The Stade de France won over fans of the national team, but so far no suitable club side has been found to play there. Philippe Broussard runs down the possible contenders
The Stade de France, venue of the most recent World Cup final, is now an institution, almost an historic monument. Les Bleus winning the World Cup means that, like Wembley, thousands of tourists visit the Stade. But it hasn’t always had such a positive image. A year ago, at the time of the official opening (January 28th, 1998), there was more criticism than praise. The press wondered what kind of future such a structure could have: was an 80,000-capacity stadium way too large for a country in which football draws many less people than in Italy or England? Was it not a risk to build it in a depressed suburb (Saint-Denis) where spectators would think twice about going? And, most importantly, who would use the ground once the World Cup was over?