It wasn't meant to be like this. Norwich's sensible approach to promotion and relegation has ended in recriminations, rather than happiness and a fresh challenge for a Premiership place, writes Graham Dunbar
A heartfelt question to supporters of Sheffield United and Reading – do you want promotion? Honestly, do you?
Chester v Wrexham, a threat to national security? Mark Howell investigates
Five years ago, Chester City were struggling at the foot of the Conference, and had American despot Terry Smith picking the team. City fans were running an official boycott, standing right throughout the winter months in shocking conditions outside the Deva Stadium, 12 hours a day, six days a week. Eight miles up the A483, that season our arch rivals Wrexham were rebuilding their ground and a team that would eventually be promoted to what is now League One the following year.
It's all in the small print. Ben Lyttleton tells us why Sir Brian Mawhinney is taking on the FA over the role of agents
Sir Brian Mawhinney, the Football League chairman, has blamed the FA and the Premier League for failing to resolve the issue of dual representation of agents in a new set of regulations that were passed by the FA Council in November. He should have saved some of his frustration for FIFA, whose intransigence on clearing up an ambiguity in their regulations has turned the issue into a major debate.
Things to be happy about at Christmas
There is, as you may have gathered, quite a lot that leaves us concerned, unhappy or downright angry about the game today (as always). But, despite it all, there is so much that raises a smile, so many reasons why what’s wrong with football is worth caring about. In the spirit of the season, rather than the usual setting the world to rights, we’ve decided to remind ourselves of what is, already, right with the world.
The European champions won't be in Germany after a dismal World Cup campaign but, as Paul Pomonis writes, Otto Rehhagel isn't throwing in the towel just yet
On July 9, 2004, five days after winning the Euro 2004 trophy, coach Otto Rehhagel announced that he had turned down a €5 million (£3.4m) offer from the German FA in favour of leading the Greece to the 2006 World Cup finals. Although this unprecedented vote of confidence to Greek football was greeted with universal enthusiasm (“It is a second victory within a week,” commented Stelios Giannakopoulos) many questioned the wisdom of King Otto’s decision. Having just masterminded one of the biggest upsets in the history of international football, Rehhagel had voluntarily undertaken the task of proving that Greece’s Euro triumph was no fluke. Mission Impossible II, an Athens newspaper called it.