James-Hilsum @james-hilsum ?

It’s fair to say that Brighton & Hove Albion have come a long way in the space of a couple of years; from playing at their ramshackle temporary home at Withdean to hosting games at the state-of-the-art American Express Community Stadium . From a fan’s perspective, the stadium is definitely a sight to savour and does not simply [...]

Let’s remember the good old days of the Premier League when hard men could be found at every team; going at loggerheads against one another every week and becoming box office hits with armchair supporters and terrace fans alike. Who could forget those explosive Manchester United v Arsenal clashes that featured legendary midfielders, Roy Keane and Patrick Viera and [...]

As Manchester United currently sit top of the Premier League and have just stormed their way into the Champions League last-16, all seems to be rosy at Old Trafford. Many believe this is due to their sheer firepower upfront with Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez being the fearsome trio that have dug United out [...]

In the history of the Premier League , we have seen some truly terrific players to grace our shores; which has considerably raised fans’ expectations of other players. These fine men on the list represent those who have been put under unnecessary pressure to deliver, with undue criticism occurring as a consequence. These are players with varying abilities, but [...]

For those younger football fans among us, the art of tackling is something we have never been able to appreciate in all its full-throttle glory. Any slightest hint of contact can often leave a player with a booking, forced to walk on a tightrope for the rest of the match. After the crunching challenges of yesteryear, [...]

It is fair to say that it is hard to imagine a worse time to be a referee, particularly in the Premier League goldfish bowl. The latest allegations of racial abuse now concern a man in the middle, Mark Clattenburg; and relates to ‘inappropriate language’ used against John Obi Mikel in Chelsea’s league defeat to Manchester United on [...]

As football has evolved over the years, the trend for a manager to have total control at a club is gradually diminishing; with the increasing need to employ a Director of Football to help with matters such as developing and recruiting players. The traditional English concept of a manager having total control is not something [...]

Over the years, the Premier League has been graced with some of the prestigious talents the game has ever produced and who have kept us on the edge of our seats such as Cantona, Zola and Bergkamp. We have also been excited by the prospect of watching new, emerging talent and foreign imports that we thought [...]

Of all the footballers that have donned the famous Manchester United shirt over the years, few would have frustrated the club’s fans more than the undoubtedly talented man from the Cape Verde Islands. Nani summed up his career at United in just 90 minutes of the 120 played at Stamford Bridge last night, as Chelsea got [...]

Manchester United look set to smash sponsorship records as negotiations with Nike over a new kit deal begin next February; and a fee for a new year ten-year contract could be worth a staggering £1billion- dwarfing the £303million, 13-year deal that expires in 2015. United chief of staff Ed Woodward, has a sixth-month window of talks [...]

The appalling images from the Under-21 European Championship qualifier between Serbia and England shocked the world, highlighting the deeply-entrenched racist beliefs from certain sections of the Eastern European country. All of those who saw the highly distressing scenes will know it was not the actions of a minority, but sections of the whole stadium making ugly [...]

A black player’s union being formed to combat racism in football; not something you would expect to see in 2012, when we should have moved on from such barbaric and ignorant views held by a supposed minority. The topic of racism has been splashed all over the news with Terry/ Ferdinand row dragging on for [...]

As money continues to spiral out of control in the game we love, a BBC survey suggests that we the fans are bearing the brunt of clubs’ desires to treat us as consumers rather than devoted followers. We all know that following a team is a highly emotional business; whether you’re supporting a team desperately [...]

Roberto Mancini has reportedly given his Manchester City players a severe ticking-off after their abject performance in Wednesday’s 3-1 defeat against Ajax in the Champions League . But many members of the squad feel Mancini should shoulder some of the blame, with the Italian deciding to use just three defenders in their back line; a formation which the players [...]

At Wembley Stadium yesterday the FA announced a new five-year plan for the development of women’s football in this country; focusing on adding a second tier to the Women’s Super League and increasing overall participation in the sport to help make the game more professional. Other elements of the plan include the introduction of an [...]

There is an age-old theory that England basically need to forget about their opponents and concentrate on their own style of play; a traditional English mindset if ever there was one, but not one which Roy Hodgson is currently willing to accept. The recent World Cup qualifier against Poland, excuses of sleeping pills aside, was a [...]

There is no denying how much football has evolved as a sport over the years, with advancements in technology and facilities transforming the game completely. Pitches no longer resemble the mud baths of yesteryear and are now akin to a brand new carpet, conducive to slick passing football. Football boots have also been revolutionised by the [...]

Major League Soccer is undoubtedly growing as a product in the States, with an announcement made towards the end of last year that confirmed the league as the third most attended in the country behind the MLB and NFL. The league has recently attracted former Premier League stars, Thierry Henry, Robbie Keane and Tim Cahill to [...]

Manchester United’s recent injury problems  have been well-documented; earning them the unwanted title of being the most injury-prone side in the Premier League . But it is hoped that a brand new £25million state-of-the-art medical facility will help to put their recent injury woes to bed; and allow United to possess what will be one of the best facilities [...]