FourFourTwo UK

November 10, 2001 Division Two “I couldn’t get into Aston Villa’s team and went on loan to Chesterfield. It turned out very well – I soon settled in there and proved that I could handle the division – so it was kind of a next step. I remember getting

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA Mary Earps had a fine World Cup for England in the summer, but you could almost see the swear words forming in her mouth as Sam Kerr’s rocket found the top corner during the semi against Australia. The goal earned Kerr a Puskas Awar

Nothing’s going to plan in the Swiss Super League this term – even the tifos. Powerhouses FC Basel have produced the most spectacular implosion, losing nine of their first 13 games to sit rock bottom of the table. They also exited the Europa Conferen

CHRIS FLANAGAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER @CFlanaganFFT In each month of the year, there are always traditions. In April, Arsenal throw a season of great promise out of a window. In May, Manchester City win the league, and people celebrate by chasing a lump

What was the first match that you ever attended? The first time I saw Bournemouth live was at Wembley, in the 1998 Auto Windscreens Shield Final. I was into football then, but not massively into Bournemouth as I’d never been to a match and they were

Sometimes, the biggest goals come from unexpected sources. It isn’t a superstar striker, but a more unlikely figure who finds a breakthrough at the crucial moment. The goal that sealed a long-awaited Champions League title for Pep Guardiola’s Manches

​​01 Newcastle United (right) are featured prominently in which 2005 film? 02 Which Bundesliga club are commonly referred to as ‘BVB’? 03 Which celebrity chef is a joint majority shareholder at Norwich City? 04 In what year did Lionel Messi win his f

When we lost 5-4 to Grimsby in the 2022 National League play-off semi-final, it really hurt. I experienced every emotion possible that day, and I’ve never watched the game back. Straight away after that match, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney came up

This time last year, you’d have got long odds on Scotland’s Scott McTominay being one of the top goalscorers in qualification for Euro 2024. Having found the net just once in his first 37 appearances for his country, the all-action midfielder scored

No female player in British footballing history can boast an honours list quite like Lucy Bronze’s – and that list only grew longer in 2023. In her first season with Barcelona, Bronze bagged the seventh domestic league title of her career with a four

Two years ago, Mary Earps was contemplating retirement. At 28, she was Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper but falling down the pecking order for England. Having sat on the bench for the 2019 World Cup, she didn’t even make Hege Riise’s Great

Darkness had fallen when Christian Atsu fired home a free-kick in the 97th minute, handing Hatayspor victory over Kasimpasa to move them out of the Turkish Super Lig drop zone in early 2023. Within seconds, the final whistle blew and team-mates leapt

The cobbled streets and archways of Naples are adorned with murals of deities. Neopolitans can’t nip out for a tin of tomatoes without meeting the gaze of Jesus Christ or Diego Maradona. The recent emergence of another portrait has provided further p

On a rainy Saturday afternoon in February 1996, the Craven Cottage scoreboard read Fulham 2-2 Hartlepool. The draw left the home side 91st in the Football League, in serious danger of going bust. London’s oldest professional football club – once home

In the 19th century, a search for gold famously captured popular imagination across America. A couple of centuries later, the commodity of allure across the land of opportunity seems to be polyester Pantone 1895C. People are scrambling for Inter Miam

Last season we finally witnessed some disruption to the typical ‘top six’ in the Premier League. Newcastle, Brighton, and Aston Villa put together frankly incredible runs to claim places in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League re

There’s ‘having a decent start to life at one of the world’s biggest clubs’, and then there’s Jude Bellingham. The man (you can’t call him a boy anymore, even though he’s still only 20) has already nailed down fan-favourite status at Real Madrid, mer

You rarely hear the term ‘free role’ anymore. But if there’s one player in the Premier League who might be operating in this mythical 1990s quasi-role, it’s Tottenham attacking midfielder James Maddison. His job in Ange Postecoglou’s system is best d

Last term you hit 42 league goals for County, smashing a National League record. What was your secret? The big reason is the manager, Luke Williams. I was more of a wide player before I joined Notts County in 2022. I’d scored loads of goals at Gatesh

After more than 60 years at Carlisle, Andrew Jenkins was officially the longest-serving director in English football. During his long stretch at Brunton Park, the now 87-year-old saw just about everything that the game has to offer, but he can still

BEST: Darren Randolph, Brian Martin, Martyn Corrigan, Stephen Craigan, Joe Wark, Peter Marinello, Paul Lambert, Phil O’Donnell, Davie Cooper, Tommy Coyne, Willie Pettigrew. WORST: John Gardiner, Holm Kraska, Daniel Sengewald, Karl Ready, Omar Daley,

The small village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, consists of just one residential street, with one shop to serve its 280 residents. However, Loughgall also has something even many sprawling cities don’t: a top-flight football club.

Loving Ipswich Town on Valentine’s Day wasn’t an easy task for the Blues supporters who’d made the 200-mile journey to Bristol Rovers for a drab goalless draw at the Memorial Stadium. After recording just three wins from the last 12 league outings, t

How well do you remember being called Emily as a contestant on the kids’ show, EMU-TV, with Rod Hull and Emu? Still, you absolutely blitzed the assault course… Assault courses are the sort of thing you love as a kid. I looked back and thought, ‘Where

You were born in London’s East End, but ended up a Tottenham fan. Why? Where I’m from, you either became a Leyton Orient supporter or a West Ham supporter. But for some reason, and don’t ask me why, my father and all of my family were huge Tottenham

How hard was it to stand out as a player in Berlin during the 1960s and ’70s? Due to the area in Berlin, there weren’t many scouts coming over from West Germany, as you had to go through the East to get there and that was something people didn’t like

From £50 adidas.co.uk/spzl D’ya like dags? D’ya like retro trainers and highly crafted lifestyle apparel and accessories? Well, Adidas have decked Roy Keane out in their latest collection of archival styles, reimagined for today, and followed him on

“I loved his style of play – he allowed you to go out and express yourself. George Graham would bring guidance and discipline, but for the sheer delight of playing football, it’s got to be Arsene.” “I have to go with Dave in goal, as he was an unbeli

Take Pep Guardiola’s praise with a pinch of salt. Whether it’s calculated or just naturally effusive passion, the Catalan compliments many of his rivals. His opinion of Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton, however, hits different. “Pay attention to what I’m