It Started With a Kick Episode 81 : Tim Lee Tim is based in Spain as a producer and commentator on La Liga matches plus Spanish internationals across various tournaments, which must be one of the plum jobs on the commentary circuit. Not only is his professional career at a zenith but Tim is alsoContinue reading “It Started With a Kick Episode 81 – Tim Lee”
Category Archives: Spain
‘It Started With a Kick’ Episode 80 – Graham Hunter
It Started With a Kick Episode 80 : Graham Hunter This week’s guest is Graham Hunter who is the fount of all knowledge on Spanish football matters, in fact what Graham doesn’t know about futbol could be written on a postage stamp with something to spare. He has written several books including ‘Barca’ in 2012Continue reading “‘It Started With a Kick’ Episode 80 – Graham Hunter”
Final Euros Nuggets and Episode 15 of ‘It Started With a Kick’
Some people think it’s all over and it is for both England and Gareth Southgate – an eight-year journey ends with another defeat in a European Championship Final. This time to Spain, who were the better team not only in the final but throughout the tournament as you will see from the Nuggets below startingContinue reading “Final Euros Nuggets and Episode 15 of ‘It Started With a Kick’”
Euros Own Goals and Episode 13 of It Started With a Kick
This piece on the proliferation of own goals at Euros appeared in The Guardian on 4th July When Jan Vertonghen deflected Randal Kolo Muani’s shot past Koen Casteels in the 85th minute of Belgium’s Last 16 match, he became the ninth player to register an own goal at Euros 2024. That was France’s third goalContinue reading “Euros Own Goals and Episode 13 of It Started With a Kick”
Going back to their roots
During his heyday Sergio Ramos would not have won many popularity contests outside his own club’s fanbase. As an exponent of the dark arts Ramos was irascible, spiky and often infuriating in his on field behaviour. His career was littered with various misdemeanours, including 28 red cards, 20 of which he received in La LigaContinue reading “Going back to their roots”
World Cup – Fair Play Trophy
England’s quarter-final elimination to the French was hard to take for Harry Kane as an evenly matched game swung on his skied penalty six minutes from the end of full time. If the England captain is looking for a tiny sliver of a silver lining, Gareth Southgate’s side look odds on to pick up theContinue reading “World Cup – Fair Play Trophy”
World Cup Nuggets – Day 8
Canada joined Qatar on the cutting room floor and only France have confirmed their qualification so as Groups G & H finish their second round of games there’s a lot up for grabs. You can pick up a copy of the World Cup Nuggets book directly from the publishers, Halcyon https://bit.ly/3eXfV2y or via Amazon https://amzn.to/3TKD1J0 27 November COSTA RICA RESURRECTIONContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets – Day 8”
World Cup Nuggets podcast
Welcome to the World Cup Nuggets podcast, with more fun facts and stupendous stats about each of the 32 countries competing in Qatar. The next six episodes cover silky Senegal, strong Serbia, slick Spain, stoic Switzerland, tricky Tunisia and unbowed Uruguay. Listen out for the question that is set about every country at the end ofContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets podcast”
The Euros Last 16 – a fantastic feast of fulminating football.
At its very best football can be so enthralling and intoxicating to watch that it is actually exhausting. The perfect mixture for a match involves moments of high quality, high drama and even the odd bit of misfortune to provide a dose of reality amongst the dream sequence. There also needs to be a degreeContinue reading “The Euros Last 16 – a fantastic feast of fulminating football.”
First European Championships Finals match in 1960 set a record that has never been beaten
The opening matches of major tournaments are traditionally cagey affairs with neither side willing to risk too much so early on and consequently entertainment is often sacrificed for the sake of a solid, if unspectacular start. For example, in the last four European Championships there have been nine goals scored in total in those quartetContinue reading “First European Championships Finals match in 1960 set a record that has never been beaten”
The Football Mine 