Charles Morris interviews John Bowler, chairman of the club which, in these uncertain times, many see as an example to the rest, Crewe Alexandra

Nine years ago Crewe Alexandra lost a Third Division play-off final at Wembley on penalties to York City. Today, Crewe are enjoying their fifth consecutive sea­son in the First Division, while York flounder near the bottom of the Third, having only just been saved from bankruptcy and oblivion. The contrasting fortunes of these two small clubs could not be more marked, and fans of York, Bury, Swindon and other clubs now fear­ing for their futures must wonder what particular magic Crewe worked that escaped their own directors.

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With the World Cup looming, two writers are at loggerheads when asked: "Should players with bad attitudes be left out by England?"

Yes~
What makes a good footballer? It’s a simple enough question, but perhaps it requires a more complicated answer. Touch, control, balance, strength, speed and fitness are all ob­vious prerequisites, but what about those other, less tangible, qualities that are integral to the footballer template?

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Cambridge United's terrible season might have been even worse, but for the LDV Vans Trophy. Andrew Bennett gives thanks for a much maligned competition

As far as the family of cup competitions goes, it would be fair to say that the LDV Vans Trophy is the runt of the litter. But for the supporters and staff of Cambridge United, it has been nothing short of a life­line in a season spent tossing on the choppy seas of relegation. And not even a decisive and bubble-bursting 4-1 defeat at the hands of Blackpool in the final could spoil the occasion as a welcome, if all too temporary, relief from all the ills of a season that has lurched from the merely dismal to the disastrous.

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Haydn Parry looks back on the life of Britain's first regular TV football commentator, who will inevitably be best remembered for just two sentences

The first time I met Kenneth Wolstenholme, I im­mediately got into his good books by not mentioning “you know what”. As luck would have it, I wanted him to talk specifically about the World Cup of four years later, Mexico 1970, which he went on to admit was his favourite tournament for the quality of the football, if not for England’s fate. He managed to get through a whole interview without any mention of Geoff Hurst, 4-2 or “people on the pitch” which, understandably, was something of a rar­ity for him – actually, I got the distinct im­pression he was rather relieved.

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There are no shortage of suitors for Sepp Blatter's seat at FIFA. Alan Duncan profiles the interest from Africa

Long since giving up the 400 metres, at which he was Cameroon champion, the 55-year-old Confederation of African Football president Issa Hayatou still bears the edgy look of a man wary of being caught off guard by the sound of a starting pistol. In his 14 years at the helm of CAF, Hayatou has made few false starts but now faces an uphill struggle if he is to land the highest office in world football.

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