The winner of the first Ballon D’Or and one of football’s finest players, Sir Stanley Matthews was born on this day in 1915 in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.
Nicknamed the ‘Wizard of the Dribble’, Matthews was mesmerising in every way during his career, where he most notoriously played for Blackpool and Stoke City.
He made his first appearances for the Potters aged 17 in 1932 and went on to make 259 appearances, scoring 51 goals in the process before being snapped up by Joe Smith’s Blackpool side for just over £11,000.
It would be at Blackpool where ‘The Magician’ would make 379 appearances and providing one of the greatest FA Cup Final stories told.
In the ‘Matthews Final’ in 1953, the Tangerines trailed 3-1 to Bolton Wanderers at Wembley Stadium with just over half an hour to play. Matthews turned the game on its head as the Seasiders came away with winners medals around their necks after a scintillating 4-3 win.
His homecoming back to Stoke was a sight to behold in 1961 as almost 36,000 spectators packed into the Victoria Ground as their greatest player returned home in a 3-0 triumph against Huddersfield Town in the Second Division, with Matthews making an instant impact walking away with an assist.
He remains the club’s oldest appearance maker as the local star played his 787th and final game, a 3-1 win against Fulham, in February 1965 aged 50 years and five days.
Matthews would also make 54 appearances for England, scoring 11 goals and would have appeared more for the Three Lions had it not been for the outbreak of the Second World War which robbed him of his ‘prime’ years.
The local star is remembered and immortalised around Stoke-on-Trent as his statue proudly stands overlooking the Bet365 Stadium.
How would the wizardry winger fair in today’s game?
The former outside-right (nowadays a right-winger) had a low centre of gravity, standing at five foot nine, in which he was able to twist and turn leaving defenders disorientated and on the floor.
There was no stopping the dazzling dribbler, who lit up the game for over three decades. When players often passed their way around their opponents, Matthews would use his agility to confuse defenders and beat them in a flash.
Legendary defenders like Franz Beckenbauer say that Matthews’ movement gave defenders a nightmare and made their job of stopping the Stoke-born star almost impossible.
He was ahead of the game, by being the first football ‘athlete’ to introduce a strict diet and fitness training regimes, part of why he played until the age of 51, and he admitted himself following retirement that he could have continued for longer.
Matthews was also behind the invention of the first pair of lightweight football boots which helped him to mesmerise defenders before putting in the most pinpoint of crosses, despite the heavy leather footballs of the 20th century.
With today’s featherweight boots and balls, Matthews would be a real threat and his crosses would leave even the world’s most dominant defenders in the air like Virgil van Dijk and Sergio Ramos purely panic-stricken.
He was also football’s first celebrity superstar who was known worldwide and people abroad would often resonate Stoke City and Blackpool with the great Stanley Matthews.
The superstar of today who comes into mind when describing ‘The Magician’ is Lionel Messi on the pitch for his skill, class and creativity.
Off the pitch, he could be compared to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo for his hard-working and dedicated mentality which sees him still competing and thriving in football’s top competitions aged almost 37-years-old, which is what led to Matthews having a long career of his own.
Unfortunately, football statistics in the 1950s were not as advanced as they are today and Matthews’ dribbling stats would be right up there with the all-time best.
Similarly to today’s greats, Matthews could add up to five figures onto match attendances because people wanted to see him in action. Only a very small number of modern-day players have that pull, possibly only Messi and Ronaldo.
On the international stage, he would fit into Gareth Southgate’s system perfectly by being quick, nimble and having the freedom to express himself to beat defenders and break free in behind. His deadly crossing ability that can pick out strikers like Harry Kane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin would lead to England being incredibly potent in all areas of the final third.
Not many players can pull so many world-renowned stars to their testimonials, but Matthews did that with legendary players including Ferenc Puskas, Lev Yashin and Alfredo Di Stefano to name a few.
The Stoke City and Blackpool great will always be remembered for his shining strengths as well as his ability which was head and shoulders above the rest and his positive impact on the game that he made so beautiful is still felt today.
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]]>The world’s oldest cup competition, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, has always brought excitement to fans around the country.
My first real experience was the prequel to the ill-fated semi-final at Hillsborough in 1989. The year before, I attended Liverpool v Nottingham Forest at the very same ground and was absolutely blown away by the passion and the amazing atmosphere created by both sets of fans.
A cup competition like no other where the underdog can actually dream of winning, and of course, the illustrious giant-killing. If you dare to dream in this competition, it may well be your team walking out on the hallowed Wembley turf in front of thousands of fans and of course beamed into the households of millions.
There have been so many wonderful memories our generation have been blessed with from the 1988 Cup Final and Wimbledon FC upsetting the odds against the much-fancied kings of Europe, Liverpool.
That is not to forget the giant-killing exploits of Bradford City at multi-million-pound high-flying Chelsea or perhaps Ronnie Radford’s rocket for Hereford United against Newcastle United in 1972. Whatever your special memory is, who can deny it is what makes the FA Cup so exciting to watch.
The famous Third Round draw that has blood pumping and tongues wagging is the chance for lower league sides to write their own history against the giants of Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City or Chelsea and not forgetting the financial impact this can have on clubs who spend most of the season desperately trying to balance the books.
For those clubs who rely heavily on the sales of players and the importance of volunteers, the revenue created by this competition through TV rights and huge ticket sales is phenomenal and can make or break the season for some clubs.
It was back in the summer of 1871, in the offices of The Sportsman newspaper that Charles William Alcock introduced the idea of a challenge cup competition open for all Association members.
“That it is desirable that a Challenge Cup should be established in connection with the Association, for which all clubs belonging to the Association should be invited to compete.”
Alongside Alcock were Alfred Stair, the civil servant who would eventually referee the first three FA Cup Finals played in London, Charles Stephenson, J.H. Gifford another civil servant, D. Allport from Crystal Palace and Morton Betts, who scored the first-ever goal in a FA Cup Final.
With the backing of Sir Francis Arthur Marindin, the proposition was carried forward and began the history of the biggest cup competition in English football.
Nowadays, we have a new Wembley Stadium and various TV companies fighting for the rights to show live games, highlights and the much-coveted Final itself. For me, it is the build-up to Cup Final day on the BBC that evokes so many happy memories.
Usually a beautiful sunny day in May, the build-up to the Final would for many I’m sure begin with Des Lynam on FA Cup Final grandstand alongside former Fulham legend Jimmy Hill.
Lynam was a gentleman, and for me personally, the greatest ever sports presenter to grace our TV sets. I would sit back and soak in the atmosphere from a stadium over 400 miles away as though I was actually there.
We are then introduced to the teams via various interviews from both managers and players past and present. Then, the journey begins with the famous “route to the final” presentation. The chance to relive the exhilarating journey both teams and their fans had to endure to reach Wembley.
All this before a ball is even kicked whilst in the background, the cameras would tease you with high-quality images beamed live from the eye in the sky as thousands of fans began to make their way down the historical Wembley Way each dreaming of glory, all believing that today is the day their beloved colours will hang from the old trophy’s handles.
Then we reach that moment, the time has come for the players and its colourful managers to walk out to a chorus of cheers, flags and banners as 100 thousand ecstatic fans welcome them into the sunshine-filled arena and that glorious green turf and of course “Abide With Me”.
This is where heroes are born and villains are left at 4:45 on their knees crying to themselves whilst jubilant opposition players sarcastically pat them on the back as they run to celebrate with friends, families and the fans.
So much has changed nowadays with the introduction of Sky Sports and the millions of pounds they brought into the game when they gave birth to the Premier League back in 1992.
However, I genuinely believe that the FA Cup has not lost its power to provoke or create nostalgic memories or any of its magic. There are certain differences now with the Semi-Finals being held at Wembley instead of Villa Park or tragically Hillsborough, something I am not a big fan of, however, we live with and are culpable subscribers to the monster that is sponsorship and TV rights.
There will be many more challenging decisions made that will split opinion but, one will always for me remain completely protected and unashamedly beautiful and that is the magic of the oldest cup competition in the world, the FA Cup.
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At 11:30 pm on Sunday the 18th of April, the mill of rumours finally had some concrete proof that the beautiful game
as we know it was about to change.
Throughout all of Sunday, a new Super League was announced. After almost 13 years of predictions, promises and proposals, the scheme looked to finally be on the way to the game. An idea which reshapes every level of professional football, from the ‘Big Six’ to your local club in the lower tiers of English football, the game is about to change.
The idea has been spearheaded by Real Madrid president and now president of the Super League, Florentino Perez, who stated in the later hours of Sunday night that:
“We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world. Football is the only global sport and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires.”
Taking a look through social media, not a single fan of the game wants this movement to follow through. The majority doesn’t desire a Super League, watching Leicester face Atletico Madrid after being on the verge of Championship football two seasons ago is why the Champions League is such a good model, it’s based on performance and not merit.
If this is the first that you are hearing of the new Super League, the proposition on paper is quite simple, a new midweek competition would showcase the richest and biggest clubs facing off against each other, in a 20-team format. This would then for those sides, replace the Champions League, whilst remaining in their current domestic leagues.
The league would be locked to the elite clubs though, with the 15 founding members all guaranteed a spot in the tournament each year for being a founder of the league with a further five teams joining through qualification. However, no information has been revealed about how teams can qualify.
We know the 12 clubs currently agreeing to the proposal as AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Atlético de Madrid, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, FC Internazionale Milan, Juventus FC, Liverpool FC, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid CF and Tottenham Hotspur.
A further three clubs are set to join the league as founders, reports swirled that the German elites, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and also PSG had rejected invites as well as Porto and RB Leipzig.
UEFA, FIFA and national football federations and authorities have further rejected this idea. It is believed that clubs will be banned from European competitions in the future if plans do not succeed, titles will be stripped, clubs banned from their domestic leagues but arguably the most devastating if the plans go through, players who participate in the new league will be banned from competing in international competitions such as the European Football Championship and the World Cup.
With UEFA president Aleksande Ceferin threatening that:
“The players that will play in the closed league will be banned from playing in the World Cup and Euros. They will not be allowed play for their national teams.”
It very well could mean that the English national squad runs the risk of losing the majority of their capped players who potentially will be taken to the Super League, therefore, completely changing the national squad.
Ben Dixon looks at the potential England line-up we could see for an international competition, should these changes be implemented.
Line-up
The most recent England squad for the European qualifiers consisted of 26 players, 15 of which play for clubs in the new Super League, not including Jesse Lingard of Manchester United. Lingard is currently on loan at West Ham United, therefore, he wouldn’t be eligible next season onwards for international competitions if he didn’t move away from Old Trafford.
Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund also currently doesn’t count, whose team potentially could join the league but is looking extremely unlikely to take up the offer.
For many years it’s been claimed that the England set up has always had this bias towards these ‘Big Six’ clubs and with the proposals and threats that players of these clubs won’t play internationally again, there is potential that there could be an England team without the bias.
In part one of this series, the attention is on the defensive aspects of the squad.
Goalkeeper
Nick Pope – Burnley FC
For the past four years, Nick Pope has consistently been pivotal to Burnley and has often been linked with moves away from Turf Moor, this season no different with the ‘keeper being linked to Chelsea and Spurs.
Pope has been exceptional for Burnley and was rewarded with a call-up to the national squad in the most recent set of qualifiers alongside Dean Henderson and Sam Johnstone.
Statistically brilliant, the 29-year-old has kept nine clean sheets this season in a team threatened with relegation. It is nothing short of incredible, with Pope’s continual efforts arguably the reason why Burnley haven’t been in the relegation zone for the majority of the season.
Pope first received a call up to the national side in March 2018 and was named in Gareth Southgate’s 2018 World Cup squad. Burnley’s number one made his Three Lions debut in June prior to that tournament as a substitute against Costa Rica in a friendly but would have to wait until November 2019 for his first competitive appearance.
A 4-0 victory over Kosovo in the final game of the Euro 2020 qualifiers saw Pope impress but would struggle to get the number one shirt from Jordan Pickford in competitive games until recently due to Pickford’s drop in form.
Pope was favoured by Southgate in the recent international qualifiers to be his starting ‘keeper and showed why he deserves the spot ahead of the Euro’s this summer. In the three games, he kept two clean sheets conceding one against Poland in the final game.
Key Domestic stats:
Saves per game: 3.7 (75%)
League team of the week appearances: three
Clean sheets: 9
Right-back
Matty Cash – Aston Villa
The Villa full-back has stepped up to the level required for the Premier League and has consistently performed. The Villa backline has been one of the best defences in the league and the best excluding the ‘Big Six’ keeping 14 clean sheets and Matty Cash has been involved in 10 of those.
The decision for Cash to be in the squad is also because of his role going forward and the system that both Villa and England play requires progressive full-backs with Cash averaging 37.29 passes per game aiding his team forward.
Defensively the former Nottingham Forest star also excels, the full-back hasn’t made a single error leading to goals in the 2096 minutes of football he’s played this season.
Since his £15 million move in the summer, he’s only gone from strength to strength and has proved his ability to perform at this level. His performances have led to Villa entering contract discussions with the 23-year-old as they look to tie Cash down.
Cash hasn’t yet had an opportunity to play for England despite shouts suggesting he should have been in the squad recently but with the three called up right-backs (Walker – Manchester City, Trippier – Atletico Madrid and James – Chelsea) all playing for clubs in the Super League, Cash rightly should be in line for a call-up.
Key Domestic Stats:
Clean sheets: 10
Tackles per game: 2.6
Errors leading to shots/goals: None
Right centre-back
James Tarkowski – Burnley FC
Tarkowski is the second Burnley player in this line-up and it’s completely deserved, like Pope, Tarkowski has been pivotal to Burnley’s fight to stay up this season and his partnership with Ben Mee has been brilliant for a number of years now.
His brilliance was summarised by West Ham United’s persistence to sign the centre-half last summer with the East London club submitting bids of up to £30 million. However, none reached Burnley’s valuation of their 28-year-old centre half which was closer to the £50 million mark, a fee which also put Leicester City off.
Tarkowski is a player that potentially may have not been in the line-up if he chose a different national team route given his eligibility to play for Poland through his grandfather. However, he never took the opportunity and should surely be in line for a call-up to the English national team.
Tarkowski has never really been given much of a chance in an England shirt and has often been overlooked by those players of the ‘Big Six.’ Tarkowski has featured for England already in a friendly against Italy in 2018. Furthermore, he also was named as a standby player for Southgate’s Euro 2018 squad but had to withdraw proving that Southgate sees him as an option.
This season Tarkowski has proved his reliability by playing 30 of Burnley’s 32 games, only missing the two opening games through injury. Since then he has not missed a minute, keeping nine clean sheets in this time.
Key Domestic Stats:
Clean sheets: Nine
Clearances per game: 4.3
Duels won per game: 7.3 (69%)
Left centre-back
Tyrone Mings – Aston Villa
Mings is a player who is familiar with the set-up and recently received another call up for the World Cup qualifiers. He most recently featured for the national side against San Marino where Mings got 45 minutes of game time in a match England would win 5-0.
There were shouts that the spot deserved to go to his Villa teammate, Ezri Konsa but, Mings’ ability to play on the left side of the defence and him being left-footed means that this spot is his for the taking.
Under Southgate we have seen Maguire and Stones favoured, both able to play passes short and long fitting the playing style that he wants his England squad to play. Whilst Stones and Maguire are both stronger on their right, Mings as the starting centre back offers a larger versatility if England switch between a 4-2-3-1 and a 3-5-2 which have been the go-to formations due to him being left footed.
Mings has also been one of the favoured centre-halves under Southgate and this just furthers the reasoning why he is likely to get a spot in the squad, without or without the ‘Big Six’.
Key Domestic Stats:
Clean sheets: 13
Clearances per game: 4.8
Accurate passes per game: 35.7 (77%)
Left-back
Aaron Cresswell – West Ham United
There are a plethora of left-backs that could take this position with the void being left by Ben Chilwell and Luke Shaw, but the one who has impressed most is Aaron Cresswell.
Cresswell has been nothing short of incredible this season and his resurgence as a player has seemingly come out of nowhere with credit due to the 31-year-old for that.
The former Ipswich man is a player that for many seasons has been overlooked at West Ham but this season he has shown why he is still one of the best English left-backs.
Defensively Cresswell is a sound option, with no errors leading to goals in the 31 games he has played, 10 clean sheets, 2.1 clearances per game and committing only 0.4 fouls per game displaying the discipline and quality a defender at this level requires.
However, it is going forward where Cresswell has excelled this season, the full-back averages 1.5 key passes per game, an astounding stat for a full back, in addition to this, he has created 10 big chances creating a total of seven assists.
Key Domestic Stats:
Assists: Seven
Clean sheets: 10
League team of the week appearances: Four
Backup options
Although the four above may start, there are also players that deserve a mention due to the excellent form they have been in this season.
Goalkeeper
Sam Johnstone – West Bromwich Albion
Johnstone has been a player that has shocked many in the Premier League this season, keeping six clean sheets and being a standout player in a Baggies side that has looked like relegation favourites since the first day of the campaign.
At times, Johnstone has won points for the club due to him making 124 saves this season, the most of any goalkeeper in the Premier League, but he has also conceded 57 in his 30 appearances an average of 1.9 goals conceded per game.
Furthermore, the West Brom number one has a total of 876 passes averaging about 29.2 passes per game and for an England side that progresses from the back, this is a vital statistic for any England ‘keeper.
Key Domestic Stats:
Saves: 124
Passes per match: 29.2
Clean sheets: 6
Right-back
Luke Ayling – Leeds United
After the club’s promotion to the Premier League, there were potential doubts of whether Luke Ayling would be at the standard required for the league, however, the full-back has put any doubts behind him and has played a key role in Leeds’ season.
With the third most amount of tackles behind Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Ayling is the highest tackler outside the ‘Big Six’ clubs, averaging 2.7 tackles per game, and with eight clean sheets, he’s a valuable asset to Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
Furthermore, the former Yeovil defender fits the mould of a full-back that suits the England system, with superb stamina through the murderball training at Leeds but also with the ability to play in the centre of defence makes him a prime candidate to be in the European Championship squad.
Key Domestic Stats:
Touches per game: 89.5
Tackles per game: 2.7
Clean sheets: 8
Centre-back
Conor Coady – Wolverhampton Wanderers
Conor Coady is already an England international and is deservedly so, with the Wolves captain enjoying another good campaign and featuring in all but one of Wolves’ games.
Coady is a player that Southgate has worked with on the international stage before and he fits the mould of Southgate’s system to a tee. A vocal, ball-playing defender that has the ability to play out from the back and is versatile enough to play in either centre-half position or as a holding midfielder, Coady is a must for Southgate’s squad.
Key Domestic Stats:
Accurate passes per game: 42.6 (88%)
Clean sheets: 10
Accurate passes in own half per game: 33.5 (94%)
Centre-back
Ezri Konsa – Aston Villa
Konsa’s brilliant season has prompted many to already want his name included in the squad, regardless of any sanctions imposed on others. Compared to Eric Dier, who has had a poor season for Spurs, Konsa has delivered consistently for Villa and an England debut should follow.
Konsa has averaged a 7.0 rating in the Premier League this season in the 28 games he has played and is often one of Villa’s standout performers. The 23-year-old averages 0.5 fouls per game showing the defenders discipline at such a young age meanwhile his ability to play right-back will favour Southgate’s need for versatility.
Key Domestic Stats:
Fouls per game: 0.5
Clean sheets: 11
Errors lead to goals/shots: 0
Left-back
Matt Targett – Aston Villa
Matt Targett is another player that has excelled for Villa this season and they fully deserve the credit they are getting, defensively they are excellent and look a different side to last season at the back something that Dean Smith made sure to focus on.
Targett has been involved in every clean sheet that the side has kept this season and has the second most tackles, after Luke Ayling, by non ‘Big Six’ players in the league. With a 48% tackle success rate he has proved his brilliance in the Aston Villa defence and would look set to get a call-up to the England side if the Super League participants were excluded.
With James Justin out with cruciate ligament damage, the case Matt Targett’s inclusion only stregthens and the full-back could soon make his England bow if his performances continue.
Key Domestic Stats:
Clean sheets: 14
Tackles: 66
Clearances per game: 2.17
Summary
A defence largely dominated by players in claret and blue, the defence features only two consistently called upon English internationals, the domination of the so-called ‘Big Six’ clear to see. The roots of the defence originate in the EFL with the majority of the defence playing in the Championship or lower at some points in their careers just showing the progression system in this country.
Despite the lack of internationals, if the threats are followed through, England would still be able to field a strong defensive line-up at the Euros.
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This week saw the EFL and Professional Game Match Official (PGMOL) observe the first-ever female football league referee, as well as the proposed appointment of the first pair of British South Asians to officiate in the same Championship match.
Rebecca Welch was the first female to have been appointed to an English Football League fixture as a referee, as she oversaw a mid-table clash between Harrogate Town and Port Vale on Easter Monday.
The Vale leapfrogged their opponents in a 2-0 away win but, for 90 minutes Welch was the centre of attention. Something that she would hope nobody notices on her next appointment, as she sets sights on a new chapter for female referees in the men’s professional game.
The hostile world of refereeing was never an ambition for the 37-year-old, but Welch has out-performed male counterparts while rising through the ranks of the grassroots and women’s game.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher told Sky Sports that the sky is the limit for what Welch can achieve: “We all have our individual voyage, we all guide ourselves.
“The more you go up, the more you realise how good you are, the better you perform.
“There is no ceiling, it’s up to her to do what she wants.”
The Durham-based official is no stranger to the pressures of football, having taken charge of the Women’s FA Cup final, Women’s Champions League and a longstanding member of the WSL (Women’s Super League). As well as recently being promoted to UEFA’s elite category of officials.
“When I decided to become a referee 11 years ago, I had no idea I would be the first female in the EFL, it didn’t even register on my radar!” she told Sky Sports.
“I’ve always said throughout all my promotions, I want to be promoted on merit, rather than an appointment based on anything else. I do believe that in the next 10 to 15 years, we’ll see a female referee in the Premier League.”
“I do think it’s important to show that women who are in the top one per cent of their category can proceed to the next level so it definitely makes others down the pyramid look up and know that they can achieve the same,” she added.
In the summer of 2020, the Football Association revealed that the number of female referees in English football had risen by 72% since 2016; with this in mind, Welch should be idolised as a pioneer for women in sport.
Meanwhile, Sikh brothers Bhups and Sunny Singh Gill will make English Football League history this weekend as they are set to become the first pair of British South Asians to officiate in the same Championship match.
Sikh brothers Bhups and Sunny Singh Gill will make EFL history this weekend when they become the first pair of British South Asians to officiate in the same Championship match | @DevTrehan
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 6, 2021
The brothers will be continuing their family history, as they follow the footsteps of their father Jarnail Singh, the first turbaned Sikh to referee in the EFL.
PGMOL – the governing body responsible for match official appointments across the EFL – confirmed Bhups as one of the two assistant referees, whilst Sunny will prowl the technical areas as fourth official in Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship fixture between Bristol City vs Nottingham Forest.
Former Premier League match official and 2010 World Cup Final referee Howard Webb was full of praise for the Berkshire brothers: “I’m absolutely thrilled to see the progress that Sunny and Bhups have made in the game. I’ve had my eye on them for quite some time,”
“They are athletic, they know how to manage people, all these skills that you need to be successful. If you don’t have them, you don’t survive in the professional game. These guys have done more than survive, they’ve excelled, and I think will continue to do so.
“Both have gone through those hard yards of local football and then progressing through the different levels and probably feeling like at some point they want to pack in because it’s not been an easy day at the office, but they’ve persevered through those difficult times.”
PE teacher Bhupinder, 36, is England’s highest-ranked South Asian assistant referee. Sunny, 37, is a prison officer at HMP Feltham and the most senior British South Asian referee in the country.
These landmark appointments of Welch, Bhups and Sunny are hoped to be just a ‘stepping stone’ in the right direction for English football.
Gallagher said: “It just shows now in refereeing, there is no barrier to entry,”
He added: “It also shows now that it is about the person for the job, whether that is a man or a woman. Whoever is the best person for the job gets that job, and that is how it should be.”
“It’s there if you want it – and I think that is the message they send out. It is there if you want it.”
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]]>Stadion Shopping Centar, I kid you not, hosted the evening’s Super Liga match between Voždovac and Partizan Belgrade.
Sounds strange? Well, FK Voždovac represent the eponymous suburb just across the dual carriageway from Red Star’s “Marakana” stadium and play on top of a shopping centre, literally.
Belgrade loves its shopping centres – or at least it has seemed so during my time living here. In November, the biggest mall on the whole Balkan peninsula opened up in the upmarket Waterfront district. This behemoth adds to the ten or so other temples to consumerism dotted around the city, on top of a long pedestrian street in the centre where all the top brands can be found.
So, when FK Voždovac looked to cash in on their ground in the mid 2000s, a shopping centre was a natural choice, right?
Around 150,000 people live in this municipality that’s sandwiched between a dual carriageway and a motorway. Traffic is a nightmare if you’re coming from the centre, so yes, maybe a shopping centre in the ‘hood did make sense. But what to do with FK Voždovac?
From Regional League to National Powerhouse
Formed in 1912, the club had always played second (or third or fourth) fiddle to bigger sides in the Serbian capital. While Yugoslavia was still intact it spent most of its days battling it out in the Belgrade league before rising up to the second tier in 2004.
A merger in 2005 saw the “Dragons” acquire a spot in the First League. They managed to place in the European spots in 2006 but were still plagued by the financial mismanagement of their predecessors and were denied a spot in the UEFA Cup.
The new club bounced between the leagues for a few years, before the saving grace arrived.
The prospect of groundsharing is a nightmare for most fans but sharing with a shopping centre is pretty much unheard of. Voždovac’s president used his business nous and teamed up with a German company to redevelop the site of the old, dilapidated, multi-purpose ground.
They would build a shopping centre, put a ground on top and the club would flourish from the sponsorship of the financial success beneath.
Far fetched? Well, it seems to be working. Vozdovac have now been in the Serbian top flight for eight successive seasons and seem in no danger of relegation. They’ve attracted a couple of foreign players, their youth system looks strong, and they went into their penultimate match before the winter break in seventh place out of 20 in Serbia’s top flight.
Worlds Apart from Other Clubs
Off the pitch, things are impressive too. I’d first visited the ground in the autumn of 2015 – not long after I’d moved to Belgrade. For the life of me I couldn’t tell you who Voždovac were playing, but I had to get a peek at one of the few rooftop grounds in the world.
I was impressed then, as I have been every time I’ve visited. It’s a compact ground, where you feel right on top of the action. The pitch seems narrow, but you can hear everything on the pitch and almost smell the sweat and wintergreen.
However, there is one issue. I’m not sure anywhere in the ground where you can see the whole pitch. Pillars block the view from the fifth or sixth row, while the closer you get to the pitch, the touchline disappears. Maybe it was one for the novelty checklist, after all.
Anyway, I’d been to the ground a few times since, twice to see Partizan scrape a rooftop victory, and once to catch the second half of a match after my old man came to town and stubbornly insisted on heading there instead of coming to Partizan’s JNA, where I had a season ticket.
This time however, there were no fans. Despite the fact that all games at the Shopping Centar Stadion have a limited capacity due to security reasons – Serbia’s supposed hooliganism problem probably means that we’ll never see a full 5,000 capacity crowd here – this game was to be played behind closed doors.
Sensing an article may be worth writing, and wanting to see Partizan play for the last time in 2020, I decided to apply for a press pass.
Unlike with other clubs in Serbia, I received a reply by email within a day. They asked me to call if I needed anything and they were very friendly, instructing me to go to Parking level minus two and get the lift up. Frankly, I was glad to not have to hike all the way up on foot again, but I was also intrigued to see what was what behind the scenes.
I waited patiently behind the Partizan directors as the steward checked everyone’s name before ushering us into the lift up to the fifth floor. When I got out it felt like I was walking into a hotel lobby. A spiral staircase led downwards from the marble floor to what I later found out was the players’ entrance. A porter waited behind the desk for another check of my name and I was ushered into the press box.
It was a pristine, enclosed area with tables laid out and my name waiting for me along with the team sheets. I’d come prepared for the December weather, but the heating was turned on to the max, so I quickly took my coat off, and tried to look the part.
I plugged my laptop in, logged into the wifi , which worked, and settled down to watch the game (or at least the 95% of the pitch I could see). It was a definite upgrade on most, if not all the grounds, I’ve been to in Serbia.
At half time, they’d even laid on soft drinks and water for us, along with a bowl of snacks to dip our hands into. So much for the COVID restrictions!
FK Voždovac v Partizan Belgrade
Voždovac headed into the game after just one win in five, and fielded a young side including four players under the age of 21. The visitors meanwhile, had won six in a row and despite relying on late goals more than once, looked unstoppable as they hoped to catch up with runaway leaders and big rivals, Red Star.
Over the years the shopping centre has hardly been a happy hunting ground for the black-and-whites. The narrow pitch hampers their free-flowing, expressive game and my last two visits saw narrow 1-0 and 2-1 wins. And since they’d restricted the number of fans allowed in, it had been two defeats in three since my last trip.
Young Nikola Štulić who scored the late winner last time out against Čukarički, still had to look on from the bench from the outset but Seydoubah Soumah, the architect of that goal, made his first start in a while. All the pre-match talk had surrounded the diminutive Guinean with manager Aleksandar Stanojević insisting that he needed to see more consistency from his attacking midfielder.
The hosts edged a poor first half hour and should have taken the lead with a chance early on. Partizan failed to clear a good cross from the right but despite being in acres of space, attacker Pantović could just find the outside of the post.
Voždovac’s Lithuanian winger, Justas Lasickas, was a constant thorn in the side of Partizan’s makeshift full-back, Macky Bagnack, but the strikers rarely tested young Aleksandar Popović between the sticks for the black and whites. That is until the last action of the first half.
Young winger Luka Cvetićanin broke down the right and took advantage of the short space until the edge of the box and drew a smart save from the young goalkeeper.
The second half started much as the first with Bagnack immediately giving the ball away twice on the half-way line, opening the door for a couple of Voždovac attacks. Just a minute later he resorted to a last-ditch foul and took a yellow card for his trouble.
But just one minute later Partizan showed that they needed just one chance to take control of the game. Aleksandar Šćekić expertly won the ball in midfield and threaded an inch-perfect pass through to Takuma Asano, who controlled with ease and slid the shot past the helpless goalkeeper for his eleventh of the season.
That didn’t alter the balance of play though. The hosts continued to dominate possession and played some nice football. Partizan were sloppy and failed to clear their lines on multiple occasions and it felt as though they were riding their luck a little.
Bibras Natho’s introduction for Soumah was a controversial one. The Guinean trundled slowly off the pitch and after a brief word with manager, Stanojević, walked down the tunnel. But the change definitely paid off.
On 78 minutes a quick free-kick in the centre circle saw the Israeli captain in acres of space. He waited for the run of fellow substitute Lazar Marković and played an expert pass into his path which the former Liverpool man cooly put away.
Both sides made the most of the new five substitutions rule and the game became a real stop-start affair. Partizan saw the game out with relative ease and made it seven wins in a row. Again, they closed the gap on Red Star to six points but that would only last for 24 hours.
Into the New Year
It’s difficult to assess what this match means for either side. Despite their European exploits, it seems that nothing will stop Red Star on their march towards a third successive title, as they too made it seven from seven in domestic competitions. Therefore, Partizan look like they’ll need to settle for second place again this term.
As for Voždovac, they showed some promise but always lacked that cutting edge. The benefit of playing on the only artificial pitch in the league and on such a narrow one will only carry them so far. However, it seems that the club is run well from top to bottom, so there’s definitely plenty to be hopeful for.
Me? I just hope that I can get back to the stands and away from the press box when football returns in February. I miss my mates, I miss singing and I miss not having to hide who I support. But I guess this was better than spending the day shopping.
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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]]>“It’s a bit of a cliché, but football really is the glue that holds us all together. Even on a global scale. It is the opiate of the masses.”
On a glittering Friday evening I had the absolute pleasure of talking to the Mendelsson family. A family who share a special connection, from Ross-on-Wye to the Middle-East.
BACKGROUND
The family affiliation with the Old Gold began back in the Second World War, with Jonny and David’s Jewish father being evacuated from Nazi Germany on the kindertransport.
Emerging from the carriage came a fresh-faced, aptly named Wolfgang Mendelsson. The dynasty which has carried so far over three generations had begun.
Having been stationed in Cannock Chase (a bus-ride from Wolverhampton), Wolfgang had the world of Midlands football at his feet. Living close to both Molineux and Fellows Park, the then home of Walsall, he visited them on alternating weekends depending on who was at home.
“He was lucky enough that his parents moved down into London in June, which is where we grew up. You see the majority of Wolves fans who hate West Brom, or Villa, but for me it’s the Arsenal’s and Spurs’ of this world who frustrate me the most. It’s understandable too because that’s where I got to know the game and they’re who all my friends supported. We have a real connection with Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the place of Wolverhampton doesn’t have that connection simply because we never lived there.” — Jonny
Wolfgang saw later in his formative years the best side in the clubs’ history, with the success ridden era of the 1950s the most illustrious in Wolves folklore. The decade brought three league titles under the captaincy of Billy Wright and the management of Stan Cullis, with the Old Gold vying with Manchester United to be the best side in the British Isles at the time.
After Molineux became one of the first stadium’s in England to build floodlights, Wolves played a massive part in the introduction of the European Cup in this era. In the mid-50s they played the ‘floodlit friendlies’ first against Horved, fronted by Ferenc Puskas, and later Real Madrid, Dynamo Kyiv and Spartak Moscow.
Cullis won Wolves five major honours in his time at Molineux and is immortalised by a named stand and a statue outside of the ground. Wright also heeds legacy and history in the Midlands.
So he made his move down to the capital, marrying and having three children, two of which were sons, in the form of David and Jonny.
And he certainly didn’t waste much time teaching them the Wolverhampton way. David recounted his first match as an away game aged five against Fulham. However, as he was such a young age he failed to recall much of what happened during the game.
David, Itai’s father, moved to Israel in 1980, therefore not having the access to Molineux and the English game itself that he would’ve liked. But the day before his emigration came the opportunity to take on a then dominant Liverpool side fresh from back-to-back European Cups and league titles. The 25th November brought the Reds to the Black Country. Managing to scrape a last minute ticket, David saw his side run out comfortable 4–1 winners. Goals from ex-Red Emlyn Hughes, Mel Eves, John Richards and Norman Bell saw the Reds crumble to defeat
WHAT WOLVES MEANS TO ME
“Wolves is everything. Even from the other side of the world we find a way of staying in touch with everything that’s going on. It’s a community, a club that brings everyone together. We have a family WhatsApp group so we can always discuss the games. It’s not like being there for every game but it’s as close as we can get.” – Itai
Coming from different eras its remarkable that the two generations have experienced similar highs and lows for the Midlands club.
Although the younger Mendelsson’s have never experienced the fourth tier like the class of 1988, the side in Old Gold did experience a more recent spell in 2013/14 where they dipped to the third tier.
“It’s all so relative. Like it’s amazing now because we actually have expectation and we actually have a chance, but some of my best moments as a Wolves fan came under Jackett with ‘Dicko, Afobe, Sako!’. Obviously there’s more fans now than when we were in League One, but every game feels different and every game feels special. We beat Rotherham 6–4 and wow I’ll never forget games like that. But then we pinch ourselves like we just beat United 2–1! — Otto
For a side left in the third tier after a despicable season under Stale Solbakken and Dean Saunders in 2013, it would be extremely difficult to even comprehend where the club is six years later. After investment and diligence the club is in seventh in the English Premier League.
“We didn’t realise the fantastic side we had in the 80’s. But now it almost gives me the same feeling. The club’s at a crossroads and it feels like, even after losing in the Semi-Final, it could be the start of something brilliant. But then Fosun could get bored, stop investing and we’d have to rebuild again. But the fans will always be there.”
“When you’ve seen Wolves play and having little expectation, like under Mick [McCarthy] and down in the lower leagues its just surreal to be where we are now. The manager, the players, the infrastructure of the club has just got so much better so quickly. It seriously is like a dream”
DOWN WEMBLEY WAY
For the first time since 1998, Wolves had made an F.A. Cup Semi-Final, this occasion against Javi Gracia’s Watford.
“We drove down, all of us absolutely buzzing for what we thought would be a real chance to get into a Cup Final.”
“Driving down the M40, seeing all the Wolves flags, it was mental! Stopping at the services seeing sombreros for Jimenez and of course that mask! People shame Jimenez for wearing the mask and celebrating prematurely but personally what would you do after going 2–0 up in a semi-final?”
“We played really well for 65 minutes and even with the Deulofeu goal it seemed like we were coming back to Wembley, I was dreaming. And people say Nuno’s subs were wrong but he was trying to close out the game. It’s still so sickening though”
After a stunning start, with goals from the in-form Matt Doherty and soon to be permanent striker Raul Jimenez, Watford replied with a deft Deulofeu dink, a last-minute strike from Troy Deeney and a cool slotted finish from the aforementioned Spaniard to win the game for the Hornets.
Although the Wolverhampton adventure has come to an end in the Cup this season, it does give foresight of what is to come for Nuno’s side.
“We seemed to have it in the bag, but things just weren’t meant to be. It was great that I could spend my first real experience of Wembley with my family, especially coming from far and wide. I am glad we can keep my grandad’s heritage going.” – written by Otto
20 teams, 23 man squads. Around four hundred men will regularly vacate its pastures each season.
To be generally considered a success, you need to have really made your mark. As soon as foreign imports became common fodder in the Premier League era, the source material has become a lot more in-depth.
From the rarity in the seventies to see Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa sporting Spurs white, to now the number of foreign players outnumbering the domestic ones, it has certainly proven easier as time has gone by.
In this series I will be looking at five imports who failed to make it on our shores, and, according to the popular saying, ‘couldn’t do it on a cold night in Stoke’.
Today’s piece will be on fullbacks. Traditionally a less important position, nowadays it perhaps carries the most prestige that it ever has.
Which players failed to make the grade over here, as the domestic brilliance of Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Neville’s, Ashley Cole, Lee Dixon and the likes have taken the limelight.
1: Benjamin MENDY
I mentioned previously the growing importance of fullbacks in the modern game, especially with elite sides such as Manchester City.
The Pep Guardiola revolution had begun. The departures of ageing fullbacks Aleksandar Kolarov and Bacary Sagna allowed City to invest in the very premium at the time. Kyle Walker, and one Benjamin Mendy.
Mendy and Walker cost £100 million, money unheard of when it came to fullbacks, and at the beginning it was working out for both. City playing total football, Pep on his way to consecutive titles.
But a notable absence in both wins was a consistency at left full back. Due to injury, Benjamin Mendy is still yet to make 30 league appearances for the Citizens – meaning auxiliary replacements Fabian Delph and Olexandr Zinchenko have taken his place.
His lack of game time has simply meant his move has been a failure. At 25, he still has plenty of time to readjust and make the £50 million fee worth it.
2: Matteo DARMIAN
Excitement and transition. Two words preceding the Louis van Gaal era at Manchester United, and profiled by the ambitious recruitment which I’m sure will not stop at Matteo Darmian in this series.
Unfortunately not many worked out for them, including the versatile ex-Torino man.
In the season previous he’d scored five in 47 for the Turin side, attracting a whole host of sides across Europe. United picked him up for around £12.7 million, and he began by winning the clubs player of the month in August 2015.
It went severely downhill for Darmian from there though, going on to average just 15 appearances per season across four years with the club.
He departed at the start of the current season, joining Parma for under £1 million. One for United to forget about and certainly cut their losses.
3: Rigobert SONG
Internationally, Rigobert Song is considered an absolute icon. A Cameroonian who represented his country at eight AFCONs (a record), and four World Cups between 1994 and 2010.
His domestic career however, especially in England, was not as successful.
After spells in France and Italy, Song arrived on English shores for £2.7 million in 1999, for Liverpool and Gerard Houllier. He became a bit of a cult hero for his effort and all-action style but failed to really establish himself in the first team.
He played predominantly as a fullback, but could also be deployed in the centre.
After being traded to West Ham United for young Fin Daniel Sjolund, he was identified as the replacement for Rio Ferdinand – but shunned this as he believed it was derogatory to his own talent.
24 appearances later, he was shipped to FC Koln on loan, and then permanently to RC Lens.
4: DANILO
To have Porto, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Juventus on one’s CV, you have to be a half-decent player.
And that is what Danilo is – but perhaps his time in Manchester proves this more than his other spells in Europe. Never really a first team regular, always tidy, but slightly underwhelming.
He failed to dislodge Kyle Walker in City’s side after joining in 2017, and featured occasionally at left back in Mendy’s absence.
The Brazilian international never really made the impact that he wanted with his notable moment a screamer at Turf Moor, but will probably be a forgettable player from Pep Guardiola’s centurions.
Embed from Getty Images
5: Oleg LUZHNY
A man who captained Ukraine a record 39 times, alike to Song, Oleg Luzhny isn’t recognised as much for his club career as he is for his international outings.
His career before he set foot on our shores mostly consisted of an eight year spell at Dynamo Kyiv, with his most notable achievement captaining the side who did a 7-0 aggregate double over Barcelona in 1997, then knocking out holders Real Madrid on his way to the Semi-Final in 1999.
He arrived at Arsenal as cover for Lee Dixon after a notable performance in a tie with the Gunners, and failed to displace him and with Lauren coming in just a year later, fell further down the pecking order.
He joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2003 but was relegated, only making ten appearances before returning to eastern Europe.
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20 teams, 23 man squads. Around four hundred men will regularly vacate its pastures each season.
To be generally considered a success, you need to have really made your mark. As soon as foreign imports became common fodder in the Premier League era, the source material has become a lot more in-depth.
From the rarity in the seventies to see Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa sporting Spurs white, to now the number of foreign players outnumbering the domestic ones, it has certainly proven easier as time has gone by.
In this series I will be looking at five imports who failed to make it on our shores, and, according to the popular saying, ‘couldn’t do it on a cold night in Stoke’.
Today’s piece will be on goalkeepers. Who failed to find their feet between the sticks? And who failed to live up to their side’s hefty expectations.
1: Kostantinos CHALKIAS
It was early 2005. Only six months had passed since one of the almighty shocks in footballing history. Greece had won the European Championships, with a certain man sat on the bench in Kostas Chalkias.
Although he was sat behind Antonios Nikopolidis in the pecking order, his reputation increased just as much with the win that it was considered a coup when he arrived at Fratton Park, Portsmouth.
Chalkias struggled to maintain a number one spot during his time with Panathanaikos and bitter rivals Olympiakos, so due to foreign interest and impressive form of his understudy at the latter, Mario Galinovic, he was shipped to the doorstep of Harry Redknapp.
He made five league appearances for Pompey, during which wild antics and crazy tactical decisions led to poorly conceded goals. He was axed, replaced by Jamie Ashdown. He conceded 11 in just five games, losing four.
“Champion goalkeeper? Champion of the kebab shop maybe” was Redknapp’s response to the signing of Chalkias – a frank admission that this time, he had made a simple error.
2: Wojciech SZCZESNY
Those of you familiar to Serie A will know the prominence of Polish star Szczesny in the Juventus goal.
But to those who wondered what happened to the erratic young keeper who was another failed Arsenal replacement for Jens Lehmann almost half a decade after the German’s departure.
I was debating including Spaniard Manuel Almunia, but the 46-time capped Pole has gone on to have a far more successful career playing with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Giorgio Chiellini and Dani Alves – his counterpart spent his latter years alongside Almen Abdi and Matej Vydra at Watford.
Szczesny spent his formative years learning his trade at Brentford before deputising for Almunia and fellow Pole Lukasz Fabianski. After the departure of those two, he became number one before the arrival of Petr Cech in 2015.
He left for a two-year loan at Roma subsequently before joining the Old Lady, where he first deputised for Gigi Buffon before taking the number one position, and he now, after Gigi’s return, shares it with the living legend himself at the Allianz Stadium.
We wonder what could’ve been if he had stayed on our shores. We will never know Wojciech. We will never know.
3: Loris KARIUS
Loris Karius was again an overdue replacement for a long serving goalkeeper – and somewhat even more underwhelming than Szczesny.
There’s the elephant in the room – the Champions League final, which is over-documented to an extreme that it somewhat overshadows the performances Karius put in during his Premier League outings.
From personal experience, I have never experienced more anxiety in a relationship between an Anfield crowd and their goalkeeper.
credit – Sports Mole
Karius joined in 2016 for £4.5 million from Mainz, and after the Reds had prolonged periods without success with Simon Mignolet and the latter end of Pepe Reina’s stint, the German was set to be the Reds’ number one for the distant future.
But in his intermittent 29 appearances, including a few solid ones within the backend of the 2017/18 season, were mostly filled with nervy moments which had Liverpool fans on the edge of their seats. For the wrong reasons.
He’s still on the books at Anfield, but its highly doubtful he will ever return to the hallowed turf in Liverpool Red without a miracle.
4: Massimo TAIBI
A common theme among these goalkeepers is that they follow those who have set such high standards.
For Manchester United, they had a torrid time trying to replace one of the greatest of all time in Peter Schmeichel.
After fumbling that pea-rolling Matt le Tissier shot through his legs his destiny was sealed for eternity – much akin to Loris Karius’ error in Kiev 19 years later.
He didn’t help himself in his fourth and final league appearance, where he conceded five to Chelsea helping the Red Devils to succumb to their first league defeat in a year.
The difference with Taibi and the rest of the five is that they have achieved highly in the game elsewhere despite failing to meet expectations on our shores. Taibi failed to meet expectations purely because of simple incompetence at this level.
His only two honours came in 1995, a Serie B title with Piacenza, and an Intercontinental Cup with United in 1999. Not quite up to the Serie A titles and international honours of the others in this quintet.
5: Claudio BRAVO
Finally, the most recent option is Manchester City’s now number two, Chilean veteran Claudio Bravo.
When Pep Guardiola arrived in English football in 2016, he did the unprecedented thing of placing England’s number one on the transfer list.
What was he thinking? Hart had won two Premier League titles with City, and had done it playing out from the back. Who did this manager think he was?
And after Hart had an okay stint in Turin, with his replacement potentially seeming to do a worse job.
Bravo had an established reputation. A Champions League and La Liga winner with Barcelona (although he didn’t play in the former), he seemed like the perfect fit for a Pep Guardiola tiki-taka masterclass.
But the Premier League, as we so often say, isn’t so simple. The tough battles against Stoke, Burnley and the likes proved too much for Bravo, and he was replaced by Ederson in 2017.
Part Two will be out next week, where we look at five of the most disappointing full-backs to arrive on English shores.
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The book is Foster’s sixth publication and follows titles such ‘The A-Z of Football Hates’, ‘Football’s Flaws & Foibles’ and ‘World Cup Nuggets’.
Foster writes regularly for the Guardian as well as writing pieces for The Football League.
His latest work delves into the facts and figures of every club to have played in England’s top-flight since the Premier League’s inception in 1992.
Hardy interviewed him about his latest work:
1. What was your inspiration for the book?
Following the popularity of last year’s World Cup Nuggets, we wanted to use a similar formula, namely a mixture of statistics, idiosyncrasies and quirky facts in our approach to the Premier League.
As Martin Tyler sums it up really well in the foreword, the book is “full of the titbits of trivia that we football fans absolutely adore.”
Importantly, each of the 49 clubs that have appeared in the Premier League since its inception in 1992 are featured and I cannot think of any other books that adopt a similar perspective.
I also felt it was essential to include a view from the fans of the clubs as their voice needs to be heard because they are so often sidelined for the sake of television and revenue generation.
2. Do you have a favourite statistic from the book?
There are so many to choose from and my favourite changes quite regularly but if I am going to select just one it would be this:
The last Manchester United player to score a hat-trick was Robin van Persie, back in April 2013 against Aston Villa when they wrapped up Sir Alex Ferguson’s 13th and last Premier League title.
It seems incredible that a United player has not scored a hat-trick in the post-Ferguson era and over the 6 1/2 years since there have been 75 Premier League hat-tricks, 16 of which have been scored by United’s city rivals Manchester City alone.
During this period over 20 clubs have registered hat-tricks including the likes of QPR, Norwich and West Bromwich Albion.
Foster’s favourite statistic may propel Manchester United strikers to end a surprising famine
3. How has writing the book changed your perspective on the Premier League?
As I am old enough to remember what football was like before the Premier League began in 1992 I am acutely aware that the Premier League is not the be-all and end-all.
Also having written a book about the history of the Football League Play-Offs, “The Agony & The Ecstasy”, I fully appreciate that there is plenty to admire and get excited about in the lower tiers of English football.
Also as I mentioned above, I do have reservations about how broadcasters hold the whip hand and supporters often suffer as a result. Having said that, writing the book has reminded me that the Premier League has generated incredible drama and attracted some of the most talented players from across the globe, such as Ronaldo, Drogba and Aguero, over the last 28 years.
Additionally, I very much enjoyed writing about the smaller clubs such as Barnsley, Blackpool and Swindon who may have only spent one season in the Premier League but who all had an impact for one reason or another.
4. Can you tell us about the process of obtaining the stats for the book?
It was interesting to note how statistics have developed over the years. We now have more than enough to satiate the appetite of even the most nerdy people and I include myself in that bracket.
But before the likes of Opta came along, there was not the deluge of information which we have grown accustomed to.
My main source was through Gracenote and Simon Gleave who is Head of Analysis for their sports division, whom I have worked with before on several projects.
Simon and I discussed how I wanted to do something a little different from the rest and we came up with stats like the lowest and highest attendances for each club.
Other than Gracenote and Opta, I used a huge variety of sources, including the Premier League’s own website, which is pretty comprehensive and accessible as well as Sky Sports, the Transfermarkt database and Perform’s Soccerway. It is very important when writing a book like this to use as many sources as possible to check and verify all the information.
Premier League Nuggets: One League, 27 Seasons, 49 Clubs, a World of Facts & Figures is available to buy now at the following sites:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2OrD7ow
Ockley Books: bit.ly/2XsBdb4
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And with the squad now all having entered their thirties, we thought it would be good to see where the 23 exciting teenagers ended up and how their careers unravelled over the last 12 and a half years.
Goalkeepers:
Bruno Centeno – El Porvenir
Credit – avisoccer
One of the many unknown quantities in this squad, Bruno Centeno may have been the hardest one to dig out in this piece.
The third choice ‘keeper, playing for San Lorenzo at the time, has gone on to have a career vastly in his home country and never actually made an appearance for the U-20 side.
Since leaving his hometown club, he’s turned out for Almagro, Almirante Brown and Defensores de Belgrano before joining his current side El Porvenir, making 186 appearances across 13 years combined.
Javier Garcia – Racing Club
5ft”11 stopper Garcia has had a little more high profile career than his glove wearing colleague, even featuring for the senior side once in 2011.
Garcia, who featured for Boca Juniors and Tigre Matadores before arriving at Racing Club in 2017, didn’t feature in the tournament but still brought a medal back to Buenos Aires.
Sergio Romero – Manchester United
By far the highest profile of the three and current senior first choice, Romero has gone on to accumulate 96 caps for La Albiceleste.
Though one has to wonder what he could’ve made of his career if he wasn’t sat behind David de Gea on United’s bench.
After beginning his career at Racing Club and joining AZ Alkmaar in 2006, he has become one of Europe’s most sought after keeper’s twice. Once when Sampdoria swooped in 2011, and secondly when United crept under Liverpool and Arsenal’s nose to snap him up in 2015.
He’s established himself as the best number two in the league for a while, though fellow Argentine Paulo Gazzaniga may have staked his claim for that crown this season.
Defenders:
Matias Cahais – O’Higgins
Ah, one of South American football’s great journeymen.
Spending much of his professional career on the South American continent, Cahais has featured for Boca, Gimnasia and most notably Racing Club in his home country, whilst also moving to Chile, Colombia, Holland, Sweden and Mexico on his travels.
He scored twice in the South American Youth Championship in 2007 for the U-20s as the Argentine’s fell to Brazil, before featuring heavily as Cahais and his side went one better in the World Cup.
Federico Fazio – Roma
Credit – Reuters
Speed is a key attribute to any footballer and their ability to get about the pitch – obviously it’s not the be all and end all though, as Fazio proves.
After beginning his career at Ferro Carril Coeste in Buenos Aires, Sevilla, then managed by Juande Ramos, signed him in January 2007, five months before the aforementioned tournament.
He made nearly 150 league appearances for the Andalusians before becoming one of Mauricio Pochettino’s first signings at Tottenham.
A poor returning loan spell to Sevilla succumbed his time in North London into nothing but a wasted prime, and it seemed like a career thrown down the drain – then came Roma.
Fazio was a man reignited in Serie A, and since joining permanently in 2017, has reached a Champions League semi-final, where they lost out 7-6 to Liverpool on aggregate.
Emiliano Insua (VfB Stuttgart)
Another key man in Argentina’s triumph, former Liverpool full-back Insua now turns out in Germany for VfB Stuttgart.
He made five senior appearances for Argentina, and played in the top divisions in England, Spain, Portugal and Turkey before making the move to Sud-West Deutschland in 2015.
Having come through the ranks at Boca Juniors, he never made an appearance – instead catching the eye of Liverpool scouts aged only 17.
He played seven matches in the World Cup 2007, in which his side conceded only four times.
Gabriel Mercado (Al-Rayyan)
Another product of the Racing Club youth system, Mercado is a somewhat unknown quantity on English shores despite his presence in Europe from 2016-2019.
Mercado made over 250 appearances for Racing, Estudiantes and River Plate before moving to Sevilla in 2016 – alongside Fazio for a short amount of time.
He now resides in Qatar with Al-Rayyan, and went on to play 24 times for his country, scoring four times.
Leonardo Sigali (Racing Club)
Its not coincidental that the Avellaneda-based side are nickname ‘La Academia’. However, Sigali is an exception to the rule, having joined in 2018 from Dinamo Zagreb.
He only made one appearance for the U-20 side, and Sigali’s career never really took off the way people believed it would when he moved to Villarreal in 2008.
Loan moves to Lanus and Godoy Cruz in between his European stints in Spain and Croatia have finally resulted in his return to Argentina with Racing Club.
German Voboril (Universidad de Concepcion)
Another one-cap wonder, Voboril is another who has never left Argentina since his youthful exploits in ’07.
Credit – Twitter
One can’t help admiring his excellent trim and beard can they?
Voboril came through the ranks at San Lorenzo, making only 36 appearances in eight years, and has gone on to have spells with Newell’s Old Boys, Universidad de Catolica, and you guessed it, Racing Club.
He currently plays in Chile with Universidad de Concepcion – making one appearance since joining earlier this year.
Part Two will be out soon featuring midfielders and strikers – some big names already, but to be followed by bigger ones perhaps. Can you guess some?
There may be a hint in the opening line!
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