RefereesPerennially criticised by all and sundry both for what they do and don’t do, the referee is the chief authority figure in a game of football. Imbued with the power to enforce the laws of the game and the sole arbiter in the more subjective el...
Penalty shootoutReferred to by all and sundry as the cruellest way to decide the winner of a match, the penalty shootout has endured throughout football history and remains one of the most exhilarating and fraught spectacles in sport.To a large exten...
PenaltiesPortugal v England – World Cup 2006 – Penalty Shoot-OutThe penalty kick. To utter these very words can make the most intrepid footballer tremble at the knees. Etched into every footballer’s memory are images of famous disas...
Major footballing organisations in the UK and Worldwide The Football AssociationThe English FA was set up in 1863 and governs the game and all its leagues in England, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. The current president is Prince William and t...
Football on TVFootball on TV is a huge industry. The money that the TV companies pay for the rights to broadcast games is just staggering. BBC, ITV, Sky and Setanta all have deals to beam major games into homes all over the UK.We are going to review ...
Football Manager 2008The gameThe latest offering in the successful PC series from Sports Interactive, Football Manager 2008 once again allows any football fan to put themselves in the shoes of a professional manager, dealing with all the trials and t...
Sven-Goran ErikssonIn the last few years Sven Goran Eriksson has been one of the most constantly vilified men in football. Since he took over as England manager in 2001, his critics have taken every opportunity to have a dig at the Swede, whether for...
Steve McClarenSteve McClaren’s biggest success in his short managerial career has also been his biggest failure. He was recognised as one of the best young coaches in English football when he was appointed England manager. However, McClaren’s s...
Sir Matt Busby The beginning Alexander Matthew Busby, now known to football fans around the world as Sir Matt Busby, was born in the mining village of Orbiston, Glasgow, in May 1909. With his father and uncles being killed in World War One, he had a ...
Rafael BenitezBorn in Madrid in 1960, Rafael or ‘Rafa’ Benitez, as he is more commonly known by the English press, is recognised as one of the most successful Liverpool managers of all time. In his relatively short three-year spell at the club, he ha...