Month: July 2006

Some of these must be apocryphal. Thanks to Karen and Hank Grudzien. I like Shearer’s near the end. “My parents have been there for me, ever since I was about 7.” David Beckham “I would not be bothered if we lost every game as long as we won the league.” Mark Viduka “Alex Ferguson is…

Saturday brought me: Gianluca Vialli, The Italian Job; Arthur Hobcraft, The Football Man; James Corbett, England Expects; and Connolly/MacWilliam, Fields of Glory, Paths of Gold. Consequently, I’m starting the week ill through lack of sleep. I’m going to hand you something light and thought-free. Five famous teams, all winners, that I feel have had just…

There’s a silent revolution underway in British football’s perennial drinking culture. We’ve heard so much in recent years about drunken footballers that what’s happening now might seem impossible or ridiculous: but alcohol is leaving the pitch. On the terraces – no, make that “on the stands”, as the terraces are gone – on the stands,…

On my way from somewhere to someplace else, I touched in at the Kings Arms and found Italy v Australia on a little corner television surrounded by blokes. A couple of minutes in, the German television feed gave up the ghost, and we were left with the view from one solitary ITV camera. This was…

In June 1925, at a meeting in Paris, football’s international governing body voted through a change in the off side rule: Julian Carosi summarises the reasons why: Defending players had this law worked to such a fine art, that in the early 1920’s the full-backs had developed an almost fool-proof tactic to catch attacking players…

Busy, so no chance to provide anything especially interesting. But I need no excuse to offer you this priceless piece of Forlaneania. It keeps up this site’s distinct United bias, and demonstrates why he’s secretly missed so very much.

Incredible as it might seem, there appears to be more surviving footage of Sheffield United’s Edwardian goalkeeper William “Fatty” Foulkes than of Manchester United’s great midfielder Duncan Edwards. I am away for the weekend, and this is all I’ve been able to track down.. inevitably, it’s hung with mourning: Youtube: Matt Busby Burnley film maker…

Just for fun today.. some remarkable statistics from Football on Trial by Murphy, Williams and Dunning, but first, this excerpt: Herbert Carter has died at Carlisle from injuries received while playing football last week, when he was accidentally kicked in the abdomen. Two other football players also died on Saturday from injuries received in the…

Frustrating Statistics… As a break from a staggeringly tedious update to my professional website, I’ve been amusing myself by trying to work out which was the greatest Manchester United side of the Premiership era. The task has proven trickier than I expected. For one thing, common sense would dictate ruling out the post-Beckham, post-Stam side….

I’ve finally got my hands on a copy of Sir Clive’s interview for 442 Magazine. He doesn’t disappoint. I’ve mentioned before that I think Southampton are very, very lucky to have this exceptional man in their ranks. I’ll go further and say that Steve McClaren would do well to have him as part of his…