The season was 1979-1980. West Ham were sitting in Division Two (now known as The Championship). They were relegated there in 1978. Finishing 5th in 1979, they were desperate to return to the top flight. But this edition of A Moment in Time is not about their league performance that season, although it is relevant, … Read more
Most of the successful clubs in the world are hated because of various reasons. While Arsenal, Man Utd and Liverpool have had their fair share of haters, the decade’s trend has been that most of the football followers in England despise the newer and stronger clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City as well. This has … Read more
In football as is in many things in life, some roles are glamorous while others are more, shall we say, agricultural. The number 10 role exemplifies this no end. While the centre back or fullback puts in a grueling 90 minute shift, hurling into tackles and sticking his head where it is most likely to … Read more
Poland in 1980 was a country where revolution was growing. In the grip of a communist regime since the Second World War, and mainly ruled from Moscow, many citizens had begun to fight back. 1980 was the year of ‘Solidarity’ and strikes in various shipyards, namely Gdansk in the north, was frowned upon by Moscow. … Read more
Long before summer’s first heat wave, temperatures were running hot among the parents of some Indianapolis, Indiana 8-year-olds. A series of gaffes by the young teenage centre official was perceived to have had undermined the credibility of the coach of what was “apparently” a gifted-and-talented program for young footballers. This in turn forced families to … Read more
#94078577 / gettyimages.com After the weekend’s fixtures, and particularly the game on Sunday at The Britannia Stadium where Stoke beat Swansea, referees again came in for criticism for their performance. Swansea manager, Gary Monk, was extremely severe in his condemnation of Michael Oliver’s officiating in the game. Monk was incensed by Oliver’s decision to give … Read more
The history of the beautiful game has been tainted by several factors over the years. Match fixing scandals were undoubtedly the ones which had made the biggest of dents on the credibility of the sport. Although, it is somewhat expected that a sport which is amongst the most popular in the world involving a huge … Read more
Has Jose Mourinho Bought Success Everywhere? Not Quite… It’s one of the big modern day football debates. A man that divides opinion of fans across the world is the topic on this occasion and we take an in-depth study as to whether the great Jose Mourinho has been reliant on the vast sums of money … Read more
Anyone who watched football in the 1970s and 1980s will know what racism in football is all about. They were the decades of ‘firsts’. First black player to do this, first black player to do that. Yet there have been very few instances, other than one or two high profile incidents, occurring since then. The … Read more
The influx of South Americans in the Premier League: The new signings from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Uruguay South American talent: Ulloa one of many stars from the continent shining in the Premier League #455861108 / gettyimages.com Even with the departure of Uruguayan superstar Luis Suarez, the Premier League has acquired some exceptional … Read more