Howard Hockin @howiehok34 ?

I’ve always been the perfect football consumer for those who run our beautiful game. Compliant, faithful, loyal and ripe for exploitation. As ticket prices have risen by up to 1000% in English football over the past couple of decades, I have handed over my money time after time with little more than a quiet grumble along [...]

Well would you believe it? I’m in a state of shock. Michel Platini has outdone himself once more. The rumour had been circulating for some time, so it came as little surprise, but the announcement this week that Euro 2020 would be spread around the continent, with numerous host cities was met with a predictable (and [...]

Some think of him as world class, a shining light in a sea of mediocrity. Others demand questions be asked about a man who seems immune to blame. There seems to be very little middle ground when talking about Joe Hart. It’s fair to say that Joe Hart has not had the best of weeks. On Sunday against Tottenham [...]

So, here we go again. I wrote about him last year repeatedly, I wrote about him elsewhere last week, with another “bust-up” story tediously finding its way into the newspapers, and like night following day or Paul Scholes fouling an opposition player, here we are again with the weekly bust-up story. This time, Mario Balotelli “stormed off [...]

Well, it’s over. Three weeks of excitement, thrills, spills and gratuitous shots of female football fans has ended in Kiev as Spain tightened their grip on world football’s trophies, thrashing Italy 4-0 in the final. Here are the conclusions I took from a packed 23 days. 1. It was a great tournament. Maybe it didn’t have [...]

I’m in shock. When football finally returned to our screens after what seemed like an unbearable gap (2 weeks), I logically expected the pundits that would take this magical journey with us to be knowledgeable, astute, well-spoken fellows, like what they always have been you know? Imagine my surprise then when some of them turned out [...]

Let’s start off with a statement of the obvious – football is great. Right, that’s that over with. But however great it may be, there are always things that could be better, in anyone’s opinion. So as we crawl painfully towards the start of the season, fuelled only by David Beckham interviews and friendlies from the [...]

As a Manchester City fan, I’ve had a rather enjoyable month. I’m still watching youtube videos and reading articles about THAT day. I’m still watching Aguero’s goal, from 24 different angles, at 3 different speeds, with the commentary from a hundred countries. But I’m still wondering: what if? It’s almost as if I’ve had it too [...]

As a Manchester City fan, I’ve been well schooled in the art of appointing a new football manager. The revolving door at Maine Road rarely had time to catch its breath, performing its own bold attempt at a perpetual motion machine. And after another disappointing managerial reign, the same routine ensued every time. I’d scan the [...]

These are difficult times for Michael Owen. The bench he has resided on for so long he has broken world records for splinters, is no longer available. Manchester United have decided that there is no future to be had for a player rarely needed outside the Carling Cup, so for Owen it’s time to devise a [...]

It may not have been the highest quality, but it was certainly one of the most entertaining seasons in living memory, with the most amazing climax. In the end, Manchester City claimed their first top-level title in 44 years, beating Manchester United on goal difference, whilst Arsenal claimed third place, neighbours Spurs finishing in fourth, pipping [...]

I sat in my seat with a hollow feeling the like of which I had never experienced before. This was worse than a derby defeat, this was worse than a relegation. Manchester City had managed to let me down again, they had managed to snatch away all my hope and expectancy, to leave me wondering for [...]

Gary Neville thinks it’s part of the game. Continentals accept it. The British despise it, despite being rather good at it themselves. The question is: what are we to do about diving? The British like to see themselves as paragons of virtue. Playing the game (whatever that game may be), in the right spirit, with a [...]

A season beyond the fans’ wildest expectations could have one glorious gift still to give for Newcastle United. Defeat to Manchester City has dampened expectations, but the chance of Champions League football once more is still there. And it would be a fine end to the season if it could be achieved, though plenty of obstacles [...]

The Mirror’s Brian Reade knew the score. In a piece entitled “ How Barca Reserve Yaya Toure Was Seduced By The Whore of World Football” , Brian skilfully set the record straight in the autumn of 2010. In a piece of news that he called the scariest he had ever seen, he commented that Manchester City’s new signing [...]

It’s over. Seven days of restless nights, a churning stomach, and a vague feeling of dread, of impending doom, all combining to leave me feel like the victim of a nasty stomach bug, and all because of a stupid football match. The lead up to the semi-final and final of the FA Cup didn’t make me feel [...]

They say that a week is a long time in politics. In football, a month must seem like a lifetime. It only took a week for Barcelona’s season to fall apart, and their manager to abdicate. For Tottenham Hotspur, a month has seen the whole buoyancy of the previous six months evaporate, and the reputation of [...]

The thing about obituaries is that it is better to publish them after the subject has died. Two weeks ago, Manchester United were the champions in all but name. T-shirts had been printed to celebrate their 20 th title, a United-supporting bookmakers had paid out on them, endless articles were being written about Roberto Mancini’s future, and [...]

It’s been another tough week for referees. Well, one in particular. Martin Atkinson took charge of the FA Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, and after misjudging the severity of Mario Balotelli’s challenge on Alex Song last week, he preceded to draw more unwanted attention to himself by guessing over whether a ball had crossed [...]