The Northamptonshire marriage has already made it into (and out of) the Football League; now an east London club with roots in four others are riding high in the Conference. David Stubbs watches the battle of the mergers

There’s always that great Saturday afternoon matchday sense you get that you’re approaching a stadium. Suddenly, as you walk into the station, you realise you’re part of a steadily growing crowd. The pace has quickened, with everyone walking with a slightly cocky, anticipatory gait. You squeeze on to the District Line, a hitherto empty carriage now bulging. Then, two stops down, everyone ups and pours out of the carriages en masse. Everyone, that is, except you. For the stop is Upton Park. They’re all off to West Ham v Watford, whereas you are heading further up the line, towards Dagenham East. And now, as the train pushes on, you’re alone in the carriage, except for another bloke and a dog. And they’re getting off at Upney.

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The A-League’s second season was punctuated by shocking tackles and bizarre rows, but also by huge crowds and entertaining matches. Mike Ticher believes that football is proving a success Down Under

Say what you like about the A-League, you cannot accuse it of thinking too small. In the first season, Melbourne Victory finished seventh out of eight. Second time out they gambled on a move to the vast Telstra Dome and were rewarded with a gallop to both domestic honours in front of preposterously large crowds. On February 18 they thumped Adelaide United 6-0 in the Grand Final (having also finished top of the league) before 55,436, a record for a club game in Australia. For that they could thank five goals from Archie Thompson, a referee who looked kindly on an early characteristic lunge by Kevin Muscat and a self-destructing Adelaide team who lost their captain Ross Aloisi after a similar challenge.

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Neil Rose reports on how owners of England and Man Utd shirts may get a refund

It came as no surprise to many who have shelled out for the latest bit of shiny polyester to learn in 2003 that the prices of some football shirts had been illegally fixed. After a three-year investigation, the Office of Fair Trading fined ten organisations – including the FA and Manchester United – a total of £18.6 million for ensuring that the cost of various England and United Umbro shirts stayed at around £40. These included the England kits worn at Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup, and United’s “reversible” centenary specials – replica shirts can now be bought at half the price or less. Umbro and JJB Sports – where Dave Whelan is executive director – took the brunt of the fines, although the amounts reduced a little on appeal (United’s to £1.5m).

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Clubs’ own sites are often seen as being dull, uniform, run by the game’s Thought Police – but as we all know that, does it matter too much? Ian Plenderleith had a look inside a few to find out

In the interests of balance and fairness, it’s time this column moved away from its usual celebration of plucky, left-field, independent sites devoted to lesser leagues, earnest groundhoppers, obscure photographers and mouldy mascots, and ventured into an area it has been ignoring for far too long. This month we delve into a world rarely explored by the conscientious WSC reader: the official club websites of the world famous English Premier League.

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Seven years after England’s last bid to host a World Cup failed, along comes another one, with the plans so far to go it alone once more. Mark Perryman thinks it’s the wrong bid at the wrong time

Few England fans would pass up the chance of their country hosting the 2018 World Cup. But why is the campaign drum being beaten now, when the 2014 hosts are yet to be selected and doubt is being heaped on South Africa’s abilities to hold the next one?

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