As the thirtieth Premier League season is over, it is high time for some Nuggets, all 30 of them firstly club-by-club, and then some generic ones. 1. Starting with Arsenal who lost more games (13) than Brighton (11) & Palace (12) but won more (22) than Chelsea (21). 2. Next up it’s Aston Villa –Continue reading “Premier League Nuggets”
Category Archives: Chelsea
Palace’s FA Cup semi-final : a chance to celebrate
As a Palace supporter I find it difficult to contain the thrill of going to Wembley this weekend for the club’s fifth appearance in an FA Cup semi-final. While for the fans of our opponents Chelsea and the other semi-finalists, Liverpool and Manchester City, this is much more routine. It is all part and parcelContinue reading “Palace’s FA Cup semi-final : a chance to celebrate”
Is the Premier League Manager of the Month cursed?
NB This is a fuller version of the piece published in the Guardian on 7th April, with added information A myriad of myths that swirl throughout football, some of which hold credence, such as ‘The Law of the Ex’ that dictates more often than not that strikers will score against their former clubs. Another ofContinue reading “Is the Premier League Manager of the Month cursed?”
Own Goal of the season – the Richard Dunne trophy
Stats c/o premierleague.com Inspired by the prospect of the 1,000th Premier League own goal being imminent towards the end of last season I wrote several pieces on football’s brand of self-inflicted wounds. Starting with this one in February https://bit.ly/3dNMEo4, followed by Part two in March https://bit.ly/3cr5Rem and culminating with the finale in April https://bit.ly/3uWihkQ. HatsContinue reading “Own Goal of the season – the Richard Dunne trophy”
Grenfell Athletic: How a football club brought hope to a devastated community.
Images c/o Sebastian Barros Instagram @sebbarros The Middlesex County Football League is one of the fifty leagues operating at Step 11 in the pyramid of English football with almost 1,000 clubs represented. Every Sunday morning, hundreds of matches dotted around the country are contested but there is one club, that stands out from the crowd.Continue reading “Grenfell Athletic: How a football club brought hope to a devastated community.”
Managerial Merry-Go-Round: Episode 6
Photo c/o larry_rw Unsplash.com The managerial merry-go-round shows no signs of slowing down, indeed it appears to be gathering pace. Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s dismissal was the sixth in the Premier League this season and we are only in Week 12, so less than a third of the way through. By contrast there were only fourContinue reading “Managerial Merry-Go-Round: Episode 6”
The Stat Pack – the commentator’s bible.
You do not know his face nor his name but you will have experienced his work many, many times while watching televised football. As a freelance broadcast journalist and assistant producer Dave works for, amongst others, BT Sport and Premier League Productions – the company responsible for broadcasting the Premier League around the world. HeContinue reading “The Stat Pack – the commentator’s bible.”
Sportswashing doesn’t wash with Geordies
A few years ago Palace were playing Newcastle at Selhurst and there was the customary sizeable following from the North east. The game itself, a pedestrian goalless draw, did not live long in the memory, but one particular aspect that occurred off the field did. At one stage Mike Ashley was spotted in the standsContinue reading “Sportswashing doesn’t wash with Geordies”
Queens Park Book Festival with Pat Nevin and Ricky Hill
At last weekend’s Queens Park Book Festival I had the pleasure of hosting a football panel with Pat Nevin and Ricky Hill, who both had books published earlier this year. A common theme that unites the two former internationals is that, for different reasons, both were considered as outsiders within the football world, for exampleContinue reading “Queens Park Book Festival with Pat Nevin and Ricky Hill”
Game, set, match
Italy’s success at the Euros was underpinned by the innovations and imagination of their set piece routines. The man primarily responsible was a Venetian banker by trade who spent much of his spare time as an assistant coach in the lower leagues of Italian football before getting the opportunity to work in top flight football.Continue reading “Game, set, match”
The Football Mine 