Trevor Steven: I feel lucky to have shared a pitch with the greatest footballer of all, Diego Maradona November 26, 2020 My initial reaction when I heard about the death of Diego Maradona was real sadness. I think there was a bit of sadness about his existence too. For all of his footballing genius, he often seemed a troubled soul away from the field. Of course it’s all subjective, but I consider Maradona probably the greatest [...]
Diego Maradona: Hand of God star, football genius and scourge of England dies aged 60 November 25, 2020 Diego Maradona, considered by some to be the greatest footballer of all time, has died, aged 60. Maradona suffered a heart attack at his home in Buenos Aires. The World Cup-winning former Argentina captain was best known to British audiences for the handball goal he dubbed the “Hand of God” against England in 1986. Argentina [...]
Leyton Orient happy to lose money and keep bars closed if to means getting fans back through turnstiles November 25, 2020 Leyton Orient chief executive Danny Macklin says the football club is happy to lose money in order to get fans back into their stadium. Supporters will be allowed to return to live sport in tier 1 and 2 areas when lockdown ends next week, but the restricted numbers mean clubs are unlikely to cover their [...]
Safe, sterile football is undermining Arsenal’s progress under Mikel Arteta November 23, 2020 It is little more than three months since Mikel Arteta and Arsenal swept to the FA Cup on a wave of optimism, but it feels a lot longer. Victory at Wembley and a run of eight wins in 11 games appeared to confirm that, under their former captain, the Gunners were on the up again. [...]
Cover story: How the Premier League ‘wrapped’ every stadium and hid the empty seats November 20, 2020 Football fans will by now be familiar with Premier League “stadium wraps” or “seat kills”, even if they don’t recognise the terminology. The vast seat coverings, typically emblazoned with club colours and slogans, have provided a backdrop to the action since English football returned to empty grounds in June. But who makes these displays and [...]
The Week in Sportbiz: Cricket meets hip-hop; Germany exports VAR; and the ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ goes global November 19, 2020 Cricket and hip-hop aren’t obvious bedfellows but they cosied up this week when South Africa fast bowler Lungi Ngidi joined Jay-Z’s talent stable Roc Nation. Ngidi, South Africa’s player of the year in one-day and T20 internationals, is the first cricketer to sign with Roc Nation Sports. Roc Nation has snapped up mostly American athletes, [...]
Ryan Reynolds confirms Wrexham takeover with spoof advert for Welsh trailer company November 16, 2020 In a plot that even Hollywood might deem far-fetched, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are buying fifth-tier football club Wrexham AFC. The pair have been given the green light to complete a takeover following a vote of the Wrexham Supporters’ Trust, which owns the club. Reynolds and McElhenney marked the news by posting a [...]
Give Gareth Southgate a break. Belgium defeat is a consequence of England’s necessary experimentation November 16, 2020 Professional misanthrope Roy Keane was at it again after England’s 2-0 defeat to Belgium in the Nations League on Sunday. “I know they’ve got players to come back in,” he said on ITV, “but on tonight’s evidence I still think they’re short.” Keane wasn’t the only critic. Social media was awash with questioning of manager [...]
Belgium v England TONIGHT: Why Jack Harrison, Patrick Bamford, Ezri Konsa and Karl Darlow deserve to be in the England squad November 15, 2020 Gareth Southgate has frequently stated his preference to pick England squads based on the form rather than reputation. So, ahead of matches against the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Iceland, how should Southgate objectively measure a player’s form? One way is through quantitative analysis of the kind we at Carteret Analytics provide to leading football [...]
The Week in Sportbiz: Big W for W Series; United show FA the way; Tour de Yorkshire; British Cycling; and Uefa November 12, 2020 Women’s sport has been among the hardest hit by the pandemic but it received a boost today from the W Series. The women-only single-seater racing championship is to stage eight races on the same bill as Formula 1 grands prix next year. “There is no doubt that our global reach, impact and influence will be [...]
