Category Archives: Football

To Win, and To Win Fairly

Posted on 24 May 2008 by Robert

Winning makes history. But winning in the right way is just as important, because it generates goodwill and political capital. Continue reading →

Posted in Football, Liberal Conspiracy, USA | Leave a comment

The Art of the Run-up

Posted on 22 May 2008 by Robert

Following last night’s drama in Moscow, I can only reiterate how important the run-up is to penalty-taking. Continue reading →

Posted in Football | 5 Comments

Alisher Usmanov

Posted on 28 September 2007 by Robert

Let us hope that the prospect of yet another post-Soviet Croesus ripping the heart out of yet another Premiership Football Club inspires a viable campaign against this podgy, anti-democratic thug. Continue reading →

Posted in Football, Human Rights, Internet Philosophy, Media | Leave a comment

Cult footballers and followings

Posted on 20 December 2006 by Robert

Dave Hill amusingly plugs his book 33 times over at Comment is Free. The novel is called The Adoption and is of course available online. I fear this plug may be too late for Christmas, however. I do enjoy Dave’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Football, Internet Philosophy, Literature | 1 Comment

Cautions, crosses… and those cartoons

Posted on 29 August 2006 by Robert

If the thuggery of sectarianism is our first concern, the second is how different groups are treated when the hackles of the extremists among them are raised. When violence between Christians occurs, we say that it is a social problem, a feature of urban living. No suggestion is made that the problem may be a flaw in the religion itself, or that one of the two groups should radically change its thinking… or leave. But this is precisely what happens when the troublemakers are Muslim. Continue reading →

Posted in Debate, Football, Religion | 10 Comments

Stadium, overheard

Posted on 6 August 2006 by Robert

I’ve been pottering about quietly in my flat, with the windows open. It is a still kind of day here in in Edinburgh, and the sound from Tynecastle wafts over the tenements. In this manner I deduce that Hearts are … Continue reading →

Posted in Diary, Edinburgh, Football | 1 Comment

Two Zizou round-ups

Posted on 14 July 2006 by Robert

The speed at which this particular narrative (is it ‘The Rise and Fall..’, ‘The Fall and Rise…’, ‘Hero to Zero’?) has cycled through its steps is astonishing. On Sunday, Zidane was the villain who lost France the World Cup. Monday and Tuesday was the lip-reading intrigue over what was said. On Wednesday he apologised and by now he is the toast of all France for standing up to racism! It is as if a peice of history has been manufactured at high-speed. Continue reading →

Posted in Football, Politics | 7 Comments

July 1st, our fateful day

Posted on 1 July 2006 by Robert

And so over ninety years the analogies are mirrored, reversed. The ball kicked over the trenches in 1916 lands at Rooney’s feet. His “shot” is fired back through the decades, and men fall over, never to stand again. Continue reading →

Posted in Diary, Football, History | 4 Comments

Footballers’ Fonts

Posted on 10 June 2006 by Robert

The names on the shoulders of the German players are rendered in a nice sans-serif bauhaus font. The Costa Ricans, on the other-hand, have gone for a truly horrible Comic Sans. Continue reading →

Posted in Football | 3 Comments

Tips for taking penalties

Posted on 4 June 2006 by Robert

A plea to English penalty takers: For the love of God, Queen and Country, do not try to be clever. Crouch attempted a nifty, casual lob from the penalty spot, and looked quite the gangly fool. Leave trickery and audaciousness to the Brazilians, because they have the confidence to pull it off. Continue reading →

Posted in Football | 5 Comments