So, three weeks into the new Football League season and in many ways it’s much the same as the last. The divisions might be different, but Southampton and Brighton are still dazzling on the south coast; Peterborough are still serving up improbable goalfests at London Road; Crawley are still cruising at the top of the league; and, less happily, Plymouth’s horrific decline continues seemingly unabated. Changes have however been afoot with The Football League Show. The aircraft hangar-style setting remains, and Manish Bhasin is still the presenter, with Steve “There’s No Doubt About That” Claridge called upon to dispense pearls…
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Television Review: The Football League Show (NZ)
The Football League ShowMondays, 6.30pm (New Zealand time), Sky Sport 2A few pre-Tuition fee hike years ago, I was fortunate enough to spend a year in New Zealand. Basing myself in Timaru, one of Aoteoroa’s less pluggable destinations, I had the year of my life familiarising myself with the nearby lakes, ski fields and rugged bush, and over the course of twelve months I gradually came to reinvent myself as a Southern Man, Kiwi style. I’m not proud to admit it, but part of that assimilation involved putting football to one side. Taking up the oval ball, if only as a supporter, many a weekend was instead spent cheering on the Highlanders and joining the whole country in deriding…
Cry God for Dave, William and Saint Becks!
With a day to go before England discovers whether or not it will be hosting a major tournament in 2018, my fellow Unfortunate Stanley and myself took time out to consider the pros and cons of the World Cup bid over the transatlantic airwaves. Here is the result of our ruminations in the style of a less than Socratic dialogue:Lanterne Rouge: So Stanley, tomorrow sees the occasion of the big decision. Despite the patriotic hullaballoo, I should confess to having reservations about England’s involvement in the whole process but, I should say first of all, that I am probably marginally…
20 Years of Fan Culture Part 2
One early Nineties issue of When Saturday Comes depicted a grinning Frank Rijkaard giving the thumbs up to Channel 4’s landing of Serie A coverage for a mere million pounds and comparing this favourably with the £304 million price BSkyB forked out for the right to bring us the newly formed Premier League. At the time, with Liverpool in the early stages of decline and George Graham’s unremarkable Arsenal side the reigning Champions, the sum did seem pretty ridiculous and as the fledgling broadcaster struggled to land subscriptions in its early months, the last laugh was certainly with the Italians.In…
The Beeb’s Fan-Cam
Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but this week’s episode of The Football League Show included as many as three dedicated shots of fans celebrating goals for their team. Viewers were treated first to a clip of a Norwich supporter Giving it Some towards what looked like an empty stand at Reading, before Leicester supporters were shown going beserk after one of their side’s two East Midlands derby goals. Finally, Manish and his team saved the best until last as a particularly incorrigible Sheffield United fan was captured trying to gurn the camera’s lens off through a series of giant man leaps.It’s not the first time the cameras have turned away from…
James: Are the wealthy middle classes really the ones to back a football team...
Lanterne Rouge: Garath McCleary on signing for Reading today:
"It's amazing to be a...
Lloyd: On the Oxford / Reading thing, Lanterne, you write that "there is no c...
Ben: Yes, it does loom a bit, doesn't it? Moxey's comments on the ground re...
