Love Letters To The European Union: Ride The Lightning

On the 29th March 2019, the United Kingdom exited the European Union. To celebrate forty-six years of peacetime and prosperity in Europe, this season we’ll be profiling the footballing history of each remaining member of the EU, looking at some of their most iconic matches and the players that have left a lasting impression on […]

Love Letters to the European Union: Three Million

On the 29th March 2019, the United Kingdom is (currently) scheduled to exit the European Union. To celebrate forty-six years of peacetime and prosperity in Europe, this season we’ll be profiling the footballing history of each remaining member of the EU, looking at some of their most iconic matches and the players that have left […]

Love Letters to the European Union: Long John’s Jump.

World Cup Tales: The Battle of Nuremberg (2006)

Germany, 2006 For the hosts, the 2006 World Cup wasn’t just an occasion that granted them access to the exclusive group of nations to have held the tournament twice. Having seen an ageing side crash out in the quarter-finals of ’98, and an underwhelming squad somehow make their way to the final in ’02, the […]

World Cup Tales: A Shot In The Ahn (2002)

Japan & South Korea, 2002 The first World Cup of the 21st Century brought the first tournament on a new continent, as South Korea and Japan’s joint bid beat off competition from Mexico to become the inaugural Asian hosts. Given the location of the tournament, European fans would be treated to a first, too. Namely […]

World Cup Tales: Arabian Disco (1994)

United States, 1994 If 1990 was a rebirth for football in Europe, then 1994 signaled a new awakening across the Atlantic. Despite a perceived lack of interest in the sport across the pond, the United States narrowly edged out Morocco in the voting to host the tournament, and FIFA began to lick their lips and […]

World Cup Tales: La Redenzione Del Torero (1982)

Spain, 1982 Having agreed a deal with West Germany to swap votes for hosting rights back in the 60s, Spain were awarded the 1982 tournament, with the World Cup expanding to 24 teams for the first time. If the competitions of ’70 and ’74 had introduced an exciting, technicolour festival of football to the watching […]

World Cup Tales: The Importance of Being Ernst (1974)

West Germany, 1974 With political misdemeanors filed firmly in the past, the country’s professional league into its tenth season and the national team becoming mainstays in the latter stages of the tournament, West Germany were awarded hosting rights in 1974, with the new FIFA World Cup trophy making its first appearance. The golden statuette wasn’t […]

World Cup Tales: Iky’s Thump (1966)

England, 1966 The World Cup was back in Europe for ’66, and England beat off stiff competition from West Germany and Spain for the right to host the tournament. African nations boycotted the qualification campaign after FIFA implemented a rule stating that a playoff with the winners of the Asian section would have to be […]

World Cup Tales: Austrian Mourning (1938)

France, 1938 The bidding for the rights to host the 1938 World Cup came down to France vs Argentina, with the South Americans expected to prosper given that Europe had hosted the tournament in 1934. In the event, the French bid won by a landslide, defeating their opposition by nineteen votes to four, with FIFA […]