Martin Brodetsky explains how a failed stadium scheme has pushed a club on the fringe of elite towards destruction

On Wednesday November 25th over 700 people crammed into Oxford Town Hall to attend a meeting organised by the pressure group FOUL (Fighting for Oxford United’s Life). The group was formed in November in response to the club’s dire situation: £13.5 million in debt; losing about £12,000 each week; a half-built stadium rusting away on the city outskirts (see WSC 140); and facing imminent receivership.

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Davy Millar looks at  examples of football becoming caught up in the politics of Northern Ireland

There are those who will argue that there should be a firm demarcation line between the worlds of sport and politics. They believe that the average altruistic politico is ill-prepared to survive contact with the rampant megalomania, corruption, cynicism, ex­ploitation and downright thuggery of modern professional sport. Or have I got it the wrong way round? It’s hard to tell these days.

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A quick football history lesson on York City with Chris Forth

1922 Current club formed and elected to League in 1929 without even playing on its location as a railway city.

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Steve Greenfield and Guy Osborn discuss the latest findings from the government to tackle hooliganism 

The recently announced Home Office Review of Football-Related Legislation makes 29 recommendations for changes in the law, including a new raft of specific measures to deal with hooligans. Although the government has invited comments, it seems the measures may come into force earlier than anticipated, since the Conservative MP Simon Burns has published a private member’s Bill that contains many of the recommendations and this may be pushed quickly through parliament with government support.

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From one of Australia's most promising lethal strikers to hate figure and team nuisance, Matthew Hall investigates Celtic's latest signing

Prior to finalising the £3 million transfer of Mark Viduka from Croatia Zagreb to Celtic, Parkhead officials – wary of adding another dodgy portrait to the club’s Transfer Hall of Shame – made three trips to Croatia to investigate their potential new striker’s state of mind. Three trips? What were they doing all the while? 

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