John’s note: I know this isn’t about NZ Football, but this one matters an awful lot to me. Thanks. Mid-2013 in the early British summer, so not that hot but not too cold either, I caught the P13 bus from Streatham to East Dulwich for the first time. I was […]
The unseasonable quiet at the In the back of the net headquarters this morning was disturbed by a tap at the window. A raven, haggard after a 12,000-mile direct flight without a brief layoff in Dubai and therefore no chance of duty-free, peered in. It was a raven from the […]
Telling people you’re a Nottingham Forest supporter in New Zealand tends to elicit one of the following responses. A blank look and mumbled ‘sorry, never heard of them’ from those who think football begins with Arsenal and ends with Manchester United. A pitying smile and avuncular ‘well, I suppose you’re […]
The Empire State Building was a beckoning beacon to me, visible from the bedroom window of the apartment digs we had in New York. Today I was heading there. At the foot of the Empire State Building, just across the road, is a place called “Legends Bar ‘n Grill”. This […]
The top 10 transfer fees of 2017 are: Neymar, PSG, €222,000,000 Romelu Lukaku, Manchester United, €85,000,000 Oscar, Shanghai SIPG, €70,000,000 Álvaro Morata, Chelsea, €65,500,000 Benjamin Mendy, Manchester City, 58,100,000 Kyle Walker, Manchester City, 57,000,000 Bernardo Silva, Manchester City, €50,000,000 Tiémoué Bakayoko, Chelsea, €45,000,000 Nemanja Matić, Manchester United €44,700,000 Mohammed Salah, […]
By Rod de Lisle Yesterday’s hero, today’s villain. Nothing is predictable in the mad world of English football. Winning the Premiership wasn’t enough to secure Claudio Raneiri a stay of execution after a run of terrible results this season. So he’s on his bike, only a week or two after […]
“i do watch all the overseas leagues i never watch the A league which is a pity, but im not going to watch crap” The above comment (as you can probably tell by the grammar) was made on the ITBOTN Facebook page, following my rant about the poor turnout for […]
Dear the FA, I recently stumbled across your document, Considerations for Increasing Participation in Women and Girls Football whilst scrolling through my Twitter feed. At a glance, I thought it was a joke. It certainly reads like a joke, so I stand by my first impression. Unfortunately, upon closer investigation […]
I recently read an article by the BBC that raised an interesting point. It’s an issue that I had noticed and thought about briefly but had never taken the time to consider my own opinion on. Once I read the article, however, the debate intrigued me more and more, especially as […]
Watching my first major tournament from a mind-bending eleven hours ahead of UK time has been fraught with problems. Stay awake until 1am or sleep early. Get up at 4am, or just catch the 7am game. Beer for breakfast or coffee at midnight. Watching the highlights reels online the next […]