Once upon a time, the PFA Awards were the undisputed measure of a season’s most valuable players. Voted for by the Professionals themselves, the response to their announcement was one of awed hush and consent – how could mere onlookers presume to know better than those involved in the rough and tumble of the actual sport? But the saccharin, sentimental and simply silly award of the 2009 Players’ Player award to Ryan Giggs changed all that. In one fell swoop, footballers were shown to be as susceptible to a bit of old fashioned press lobbying as the rest of us….
All posts tagged Cheltenham
The Monday Profile: Ben Marshall
Flash back to the 31st of January 2010 – shot shy Carlisle United are desperate for an experienced front man to come in to help out the earnest pairing of Scott Dobie and Joe Anyinsah, the then still errant, gangling giraffe Gary Madine and the bunged-up blunderbuss Richard Offiong. By mid-morning the signing of a striker had been announced, in the form of 18 year old Stoke City man Ben Marshall, a youngster who’d had earlier spells with a pair of League Two Towns – Northampton and Cheltenham. To say the Cumbrian faithful were unimpressed would be to understate it….
The Thursday Preview: Luton Vs Cheltenham
Relegation to the Conference really is frightening. Though coverage is limited in the Football League’s nethers and supporters of the PL rarely look below 20th place in the pyramid, it just doesn’t compare to the vacuum of non-league. Take, for instance, Luton Town. Three seasons ago, they were on my radar. That 30 point deduction; Chris Martin on loan; Mike Newell; a fresh start with Nick Owen et al at the helm. I could hold a conversation about the club without looking silly (or have I got that the wrong way around?). I couldn’t tell you diddly, now that they’ve…
The Monday Profile: Darryl Duffy
Darryl Duffy’s career trajectory may perhaps have left the striker wondering if he has perpetually arrived too early for the party. Most notably, journeyman though he may appear to be, he has enjoyed spells at two clubs which, not long after his departure, have attained Premier League status. First, he joined Hull City in a fanfare of publicity five years ago, his 37 goals in just 68 games for Falkirk having promised much but, like Ally McCoist, Owen Coyle and Anthony Stokes before him, such abundance was harder to plunder south of Hadrian’s Wall. After just three goals for the…
The Seventy Two Unfortunates League 2 Preview
Today, our bumper (there really is no other word) preview of the coming football league season has gone live, a collaborative venture with The Seventy Two. The whole thing is presented in pdf format and is available for free download or via the link below.http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swfOpen publication – Free publishing – More championshipThere is a whole lot to enjoy from a myriad of the blogosphere’s best writers, but if your particular bag is League 2, you’ll probably find yourself thumbing forward virtually to page 82.Therein, we have been delighted to welcome the likes of Michael Wood from Bradford City site Boy…
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...
