An (Existentialist) Defence of Football

The goalkeeper’s fear of the penalty It is said that a person often reaches a point in their life when the important things in the universe become patently clear. For most this constitutes a realisation that all but the love of friends, family, and human solidarity, is a petty distraction and ultimately entirely futile. If [...]

The Power of Super-Injunctions

It would seem that it quite common knowledge now that Ryan Giggs is apparently the footballer hiding an affair behind the awesome power of a super-dooper-injuction – although personally, I won’t believe this until it has finally been outed. Whilst it would explain the way he fluffed a perfect chance against Newcastle last week – [...]

Women? In Sports? Do Me a Favour…

Florence Grindall is a sports enthusiast and member of the Huddersfield Feminst Collective Although the recent comments made by two male Sky commentators regarding a female assistant referee were entirely obnoxious, they have offered up an opportunity to debate sexism within sport.  This is an under explored topic, presumably owing to the absence of a female [...]

Men Don’t Understand Irony, Somebody Better Get Down There And Explain It To Them

Andy Gray and Richard Keys, footballs best attempt to match the levels of boredom reached in cricket games, have been suspended from commentating on tonight’s Bolton Wanderers v Chelsea match due to sexist comments they made (assuming that they were not on microphone) about lines-woman Sian Massey during the Liverpool v Wolves game on Saturday. [...]

Messi’s Grown a Beard

Long-time friend of the blog Paddy McCourt hammered home another wonder goal at the weekend. The man never scores an ordinary goal, or a scuffed tap in to an open net. Paddy is not happy unless he has skinned a couple of defenders and made the keeper look like an amatuer. Hopefully there will be [...]

The Derry Pele Strikes Again

Paddy McCourt, the Derry Pele, the enigma, the young George Best, is always an unknown quality. Explosions of individual skill and genius are almost hidden behind his fitness problems which, in turn, are normally caused by his love of the good life rather than buckling down to the life of a professional footballer. Today, Celtic [...]

Better Late Than Never

Imagine my horror as I searched the cellar for my football boots in a world-cup inspired frenzy, only to find that the bright green Patrick monstrosities were falling apart like some sort of radioactive waste. Cue 5 (maybe even 10) minutes of planning and day dreaming – should I buy a pair of Adidas Cop [...]

American Soccerball Fans Greet Henry

The MLS, the major American ‘soccer’ league plays a very important role, acting as a retirement home for past-it stars who want to rake in one last payday, and perhaps lay the ground for a Hollywood career. Thierry Henry has recently been welcomed to this club, signing for the New York Red Bulls, who published [...]

Poking fun at foreigners

Ok, ok, we’re all internationalists here… but upon seeing Liverpools draw for the Europa League qualifiers, I was most amused to see that they were playing a team by the name of FK Rabotnicki. For those who grew up playing Sonic the hedgehog, it is obvious that this team was named after Sonic’s arch-nemesis Dr [...]

I Would Have Put A Joke Here. But Germans Don’t Have A Sense Of Humour

A particularly good article by Marcus Schuler on some of the issues raised in this post. The English press, which is positively salivating over the upcoming last 16 clash with Germany, has once again proved itself a dab hand at coming up with ‘oh so hilarious’ headline puns. Usually rooted firmly in the Second World [...]