Like leaves fall from the trees in Autumn, it seems every year some chairman in the Premier League wants to try and get the Old Firm into it. This time Phil Gartside, the Bolton Chairman once again tried to get the League to agree to invite Rangers and Celtic in to the fold. Thankfully, the […]

Well you've got to hand it to him, Gary Megson must have the thickest skin in professional football. I've seen him barracked by his own fans at 4 different clubs over the years and that's some going, even in the fickle world of the football supporter. At a Nottingham Forest game, I saw fans come […]

Well if you're going to start a series like this, there is only one person to start with in my opinion, Sir Stanley Matthews, the wizard of dribble. Matthews is a name that will always be mentioned as one of the greatest footballers of all time, never mind a legend of the English game. He was […]

In October 1999 Sam Allardyce breezed into his office at the Reebok Stadium to take over a club at the foot of the first division table. Amazingly, he guided Bolton Wanderers to the play-off semi finals the same season as well reaching both domestic cup finals. The following season Wanderers finished in third place […]

Who else could have saved Blackburn so effortlessly? Sat second bottom of the Premier League, five points from safety with just 13 points from 17 games, Sam Allardyce succeeded Paul Ince as Blackburn Rovers' manager, and in less than 20 games he has made them all but safe – almost in second gear. He took Bolton […]

Well interesting news has appeared this morning as Bolton chairman, Phil Gartside's has put forward a proposal to increase the Premiership to two leagues of 18 teams with 14 clubs from the Championship and Rangers and Celtic. The proposal is to be put before the Premier League at their meeting this Thursday and it raises some interesting points. Gartside […]

Why don't more managers come clean in the press about disruptive or unprofessional players? It seems that more and more in these sanitised and sponsorship heavy times that too many people keep quiet about the players who are taking the Michael. At least Steve Bruce has bucked the trend and come out in public with […]

With Aston Villa's demise the top of the league once again appears calcified, so, like Kim Kardashian crammed into a designer dress, the bulk of the tension will be at the bottom. Here is the first of a series of assessments of this season's relegation candidates. As wretched as Manchester City and Tottenham have been […]

Why can everyone else see Middlesbrough's problems but Steve Gibson? Whilst his support for Southgate is edifying, it worries me that the Chairman seems so detached from the situation Boro are in by continuing to back Southgate over the evidence of results, performances and the fans. Yet by backing Southgate, Steve Gibson is in danger […]

The question I am posing is looking purely at what the UEFA Cup means to clubs from the English Premier League. Judging by recent participants and how they have fared, it appears to feature very low on most Premiership clubs’ list of priorities. Before the profile of the European Cup was sufficiently raised and rebranded […]

You would think Rafa Benitez would have already learned his lesson. Instead Rafa is left to choke on more words, and a title dream lost. Before Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Manchester City, Rafa reacted to Arsene Wenger's comments that Manchester United were untouchable. "I can only talk of my team but I don't think they […]

So Kevin Nolan will now face a three match ban for violent conduct, after his dreadful tackle on Victor Anichebe in today's match, but I don't think it's sufficient punishment for such a bad challenge. It's about time that the Premier League and the F.A. clamped down on such challenges more often. His team mate […]

For seventy minutes at the Britannia Stadium, Stoke City and Portsmouth football clubs were getting very close to contending for my 'worst match ever watched' title. The last twenty minutes redeemed it. When it's all said and done we will remember one thing from today's match between Stoke City and Portsmouth, the penalty that should […]

Umbro has been going through its football archives and have unearthed a treasure trove of classic football shirts from the 1970's and onwards. Whether you're a fan of club or international football, there are plenty of shirt designs here that will send you back in time. Included in the archive are classic shirts from Manchester […]

Earlier last week, I wrote how on paper the Premier League weekend fixtures seemed boring other than the Arsenal against Liverpool match-up. Boy, was I wrong. To me, this was one of the most entertaining weekends of the season. Here are the matches I caught this weekend and my thoughts on them: The first half […]