Not easy, I admit: the picture below shows an early Brazil match. Using your skill, judgement and blind luck, identify the opponents, the year, and the score.
Why Did British Football Cease To Innovate?
What British football had become by 1905, the world game reflects now. League systems, knock-out cups, international matches, the basic rules, professionalism, the nature of the football club, football administration – they’re all British inventions dating from a hectic 42 year period beginning in 1863 with the formation of the Football Association. But in the…
Review: Brian Glanville, “England Managers: The Toughest Job in Football”
There have been quite a few histories of the England team in recent years – before this one, we had James Corbett’s England Expects, and every tournament that the side qualifies for generates more of the same. Most of them are frustrating cut-and-paste jobs, that leave you knowing what the results were and what kind…
Driving With Cameraphones
Although it’s probably just a little bit illegal, a lot of us enjoy taking cameraphone shots whilst driving. Not me, of course. But the question arises, which cars are easiest for the cameraman? Which cars are kind to the budding Snowden, and which cruel? In this video, Blognor Regis’s Mark Holland drives and snaps from…
Billy Meredith in Motion
I’ve known for some time that there’s film out there of football’s “first superstar” Billy Meredith, but only now have I found it, and here it is: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPg8A_eaP7M] Hokum, obviously, but the tracking by the camera is interesting and one wonders at the skill with which Meredith’s opponents muff their tackles.. Like Herbert Chapman, Meredith…
Clough and Revie in Conversation
Things are returning to normal at More Than Mind Games Mansions, albeit little by little. In the meantime, don’t miss this lengthy interview between Austin Mitchell, Brian Clough and Don Revie which took place after Clough’s sacking by Leeds after 44 days in office. There’s very, very little Revie on the net – make the…
Intermission
Thanks to Liberty and Learning for this. There will now be a short intermission. At least, I hope it’s short. The following will suffice to explain. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG-wjkB7gXM] Back in a couple of weeks.
The Appliance of Science
I think it was a city solicitor with much experience of top English football clubs who recently expressed his frustration at the idiocy of how most of them are run with the phrase “Stupid people I can handle; crooks I can handle; what I can’t stand are stupid people who think they are crooks.” It…
England 3 Israel 0
For the second match in succession, this was a little more like it. England played as a team, kept their shape throughout the game, and overcame their individual weaknesses to close Israel out and edge towards Euro 2008 qualification. Let’s get some reservations out of the way: England’s passing lacked any real confidence. Waddle’s observation…
The World Cup Final 1966
In case you missed it, here is the match on Youtube video. If you don’t want to know the score, look away now etc.: Part One [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rarbAJ__BzE] Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten Part Eleven