Penalty Decisions Need to be Rethought

Please take some time to imagine the following two scenarios, both of which happened during last weekend’s football:

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Why Relegation Needs To Stay

Simply put - the abolition of top-flight relegation would be the abolition of competitive English football. It would kill not only the Premier League, but the whole Football League.

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Documenting the demise of Plymouth Argyle

When defender Ladji Sakouna inexplicably dallied on the ball in his own box and hauled down the incoming Rob Taylor of Port Vale to concede a penalty that wrapped up all three points for the away side, it was the madness of what is unfolding at Plymouth Argyle in microcosm. It was the panicky ineptitude of Sakouna that was woefully exposed in an act of helpless surrender and the latest batch of hope at Home Park was ruthlessly deflated by Gary Roberts from the resulting spot-kick.

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Wigan v QPR

Queens Park Rangers travel to Wigan Athletic looking for their second win of the season after earning their first Premier League victory since February 1996 at Everton last weekend. Times have changed dramatically for the West London club during the past few weeks with Formula one Tycoon Tony Fernandes taking over a large majority of shares at the club,  at approximately 66%, with Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore no longer involved with the club.

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Pub Quiz – English legend, 70’s Trivia and Rory Delap

What type of quizzer are you? Do you sit drunk and clueless in the corner? Or are you halfway to Nerdsville with a tank top on and a smart-arse smile? Can you admit to watching Eggheads - even if only in a moment of weakness? No matter which category you fall into – try our pub quiz and prove to yourself that the years of watching and talking about footy have not been a complete waste of time. But please try not to cheat, for as my headmaster used to say “You’re only cheating on yourself”, which ironically is not what his wife said to him, when she caught him in congress with his secretary.

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Blackpool FC – A Dream Crushed And A New Challenge

It is fair to say that Blackpool Football Club’s 124 year history has endured the kind of ups and downs you would expect to see on the pleasure beach which the city has become famous for. There has been little to cheer about on the Lancashire Coast since the seasiders relegation from the old First Division in the 1970-71 season and the glory days of the “Matthews Final” FA Cup win in 1953 were a thing of legend to the young Blackpool fans coming through the ranks; success of such a level could only be dreamt of by many.

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Premier League preview: Profiling the promoted teams

With a few days to go until the new season of Premier League football, the self- titled best league in Europe, there is a sense of anticipation that this will be most exciting, open title races in years, with the big teams all spending big money and strengthening to land the biggest prize.

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Championship Preview

After relegation from the top tier of English football, Birmingham, Blackpool and West Ham will be hoping they can bounce back at the first time of asking. After being harshly axed from previous jobs all to do with dodgy ownership, Chris Hughton and Sam Allardyce want their respective clubs to be pushing for the Championship title. I reckon they would have a good chance of winning it too.

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Bargains So Far

You never know if a transfer will come off. There have been so many flops and so many bargains every single season. So, here is my attempt at picking out some of the best buys so far.

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Still trying to decipher the Joe Cole enigma

The rebuilding process is underway for Liverpool, started in January with the acquisition of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll, it has continued into the summer with a ringing endorsement from owner John Henry, who said that his club will prioritise the future, and not just look for short term benefit.

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Team selection: Now we’re thinking clearly

Yes, you heard it right. In a rare moment of clear-thought at Premier League HQ, the men in suits have finally allowed common sense to prevail, by relaxing the rules on team selection. As of the coming season, Premier League managers will be free to select their matchday squads from their registered squad of 25 players, plus under-21 ‘home-grown’ players, without restriction as to which combination of players the manager selects.

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Champagne Charlie

Charlie Adam is Liverpool’s £9million new boy who will want to make a big impression for one of the biggest clubs in English football.

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Is Daglish flooding the midfield to his demise?

Liverpool ended the 2010-2011 campaign on a high, sure they hadn’t reached Europe but after a disastrous start and the sacking of Roy Hodgson miracles could not be expected from King Kenny in such a short space of time. Hodgson left Anfield in a poor state, his summer acquisitions bar one were extremely poor notably Cristian Poulsen and Paul Konchescky.

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Promoted Sides Planning To Stick Around

For the majority of last season the Championship was a one-horse race, with Queens Park Rangers, under the guidance of Neil Warnock, sealing a return to the top flight for the first time in 15 years. Once dubbed “the richest club in the world”, Rangers should be looking to add the vital experience and quality needed to maintain their status in the Premier League. However, as of yet there has been limited activity in the transfer market with failed moves already for the likes of Danny Graham, Steve Morison, and Craig Mackail-Smith, although interest has re-opened in terms of bringing the latter to Loftus Road.

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Brave Blackpool Preparing for New Battle

Rarely has a team relegated from the Premier League been praised unanimously from all corners.  Seldom has a manager been touted as a serious candidate for manager of the season despite seeing his side slip into the second tier of English football. However, bizarrely, this is a situation Blackpool and their manager Ian Holloway have just experienced.

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