John Sugden and Alan Tomlinson trace the toots of England's international impotence and the shambles at the FA

December’s crisis within the FA, when chairman Keith Wiseman and chief executive Graham Kelly faced a vote of no confidence from the FA Council, can only be properly understood in relation to English football’s recent lack of standing in Europe and in FIFA politics. In the run-up to the 1998 World Cup and critical UEFA and FIFA congresses, Kelly was asked whether the British associations lacked inf­luence in UEFA.

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Steven Morgan explores the financial depths to which Portsmouth have sunk

As Christmas presents go, it was like finally unwrapping something you’d asked for two years ago. Still, better late than never. Chairman Martin Gregory’s decision to quit Portsmouth on December 18th had been the top item on every fan’s festive wish list, such was the crippling financial damage wreaked during his three-year stint in charge.

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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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