The gift of footballI can’t remember how old I was when I was given the gift of football. Nine, maybe ten? I do remember seeing the round bulk of it in my…May 20, 2022May 20, 2022
Lessons from the Super LeagueOf the many lessons imparted to us by the frenzied 48 hours last week in which the European Super League was founded, roundly condemned and…Apr 30, 2021Apr 30, 2021
Better than the Barry ButlerI’ve always felt it was too obvious to have a striker as your favourite player. How boring, I’d think, how basic, to like the player who…Apr 29, 2021Apr 29, 2021
Harder than you thinkAs I write this, Norwich City have won eight games on the spin, are sitting comfortably at the top of the Championship table and have 79…Apr 11, 2021Apr 11, 2021
A ghost season doesn’t have to be hauntingWhen it became clear — some time between March last year, when football stopped, and when it resumed in June — that the season would be…Mar 3, 2021Mar 3, 2021
Thank our lucky starsDespite ten years of Catholic education and an Irish mother who lights a candle at the cathedral any time she needs a favour from the Big…Jan 21, 2021Jan 21, 2021
Guests in a world of gatekeepersIn the summer of 2019 I stood in a packed London pub to cheer on England in the semi-final of the women’s World Cup and thought about the…Dec 30, 2020Dec 30, 2020
I’m starting to feel sorry for Ipswich TownWhen you become a fan of a football club, it involves another, twin pact, one written in the small print, implicit but not articulated…Dec 12, 2020Dec 12, 2020
Long live King TimCometh the hour, cometh the Krul. No, I’m not referring to the moment when Louis van Gaal chose to sub on Tim Krul for the Netherlands…Nov 28, 2020Nov 28, 2020
Hope springs eternalThis piece was published in OTBC, the Norwich City matchday programme, for the Premier League game against Brighton & Hove Albion on 4…Jul 16, 2020Jul 16, 2020
