Dick Sharman examines Rushden & Diamonds' success in 1996

Something is stirring in East Northants. In the little-known market town of Irthlingborough, one of many such places in the area separated by unremarkable, gently rolling fields, a a fledgling club are being nurtured by a multi-millionaire. Rushden and Diamonds are the new champions of the Beazer Homes League, already priming themselves for Endsleigh League status – and beyond. The galling thing for Northampton Town fans is that is should have been us.

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Up until the mid-1970's Ajax were just one of four first division clubs in Amsterdam. Karel Stokkermans explains what happened to their local rivals

It is over a decade ago since Ajax last played a match against local opposition – a second round cup tie in December 1983 against the amateurs of DWV, which they won 6-0.The last league derby in Amsterdam was nearly two decades ago: on March 19th, 1978, when Ajax beat FC Amsterdam 5-1.

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What makes Ajax so good? It seems to have a lot to do with what they teach their under 12s, as John Perlman reports

On the last Sunday in April, Ajax fans thronged up the Middenweg that runs through Amsterdam’s eastern suburbs and covered their beloved old De Meer Stadium in red and white for the very last time. The players responded to the occasion – it’s a habit they have – and hammered Willem II of Tilburg 5-1 to secure a 26th league title, Ajax’s third in succession.

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Mike Ticher explains how Glenn Hoddle changed the culture at Chelsea without changing there fortunes

There’s a saying about the underlying sameness of German history, despite all the turmoil on the surface: “It was a very German revolution. That is, not a revolution at all.” In some ways, Glenn Hoddle’s already-mythical reign at Stamford Bridge was a very Chelsea revolution. He has been rightly praised in all quarters for implementing a highly technical, intelligent and aesthetically pleasing style of play. Or, as the Daily Telegraph so graciously put it, for “achieving the monumental feat of educating Chelsea supporters about what constitutes good football”. Yet in terms of consistency and ultimate achievement, it was the same old Chelsea.

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Dave Cohen outlines the vital ingredient missing from this year's FA Cup final: the North v South rivalry

When the draw for the FA Cup semi-finals was made I prayed in vain for the perfect outcome: Liverpool v Chelsea. Normally, when your own team is not involved in a match, you assume a partisanship based exclusively on which of the two teams you hate less. As a Leeds fan, there was no contest as to who I would rather see win between Chelsea and Manchester United. But Liverpool or Aston Villa? Both teams had trounced us 3-0 in cup games within days of each other and the outcome of this particular match had about as much relevance to me as a Nuclear Electric Kent County League play-off. So what made me root for Liverpool? What swung it in the end was the lure of a North versus South final.

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