Sharing a series of untold stories from around the world of football through interviews, articles and photography.
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I came across the club whilst out on a walk, took a few photos of the pitch, and tagged them on Instagram when posting. I was lucky enough to receive a message back from Reto, board member and resident club photographer, who kindly invited me down to Sunday's game.
Read MoreConsidering that Scotland is a football loving nation, and that the beautiful game is the planet’s most popular sport, it’s no surprise that some of the playwrights and theatre groups chose football as their theme and inspiration this year. Googling ‘Edinburgh Fringe Football’ revealed a handful of shows clearly playing on the emotional, social connection so many of us have to the sport.
Read MoreWith Hertha Berlin playing away from home, and recently promoted Union Berlin fully sold out, we had to look a little lower down the German football ladder last weekend for a taste of live action. A bit of googling led us to Tennis Borussia Berlin's first match of the year, and it became clear it was a significant one for the club.
Read MoreDespite the fact that Barcelona were hosting Arsenal in a pre season game at the Nou Camp that same evening, we opted instead for a trip to Europa CE for their Catalan Cup match against Llagostera. The small stadium was tucked into a suburb to the North of the city, towering apartment blocks and distant mountains visible as the sun was setting.
Read MoreIt seemed even the victorious team were not excused the kettling treatment, with the orange-shirted, hand-holding stream of security guards physically restraining the players from getting too close to their own fans. This sparked anger from players and fans alike, with a farcical on-field, post-match battle breaking out, fans launching water bottles towards the Egyptian security.
Read MoreAs we debated our chances of making it inside, small groups of fans began to find gaps in the security line, jogging and sprinting in pockets towards the next set of gates. We spontaneously joined them, nipping through the barriers in the hope of finding our seats belatedly. The security and police forces didn’t take too kindly to the movement, lashing out randomly and continuing to restrict groups of fans.
Read MoreAfter experiencing a few issues at the security gates during the semi final (apparently 3 English lads, with Arabic and Persian roots, wearing Finnish, South African and Colombian football shirts, accompanied by an Egyptian, was something of a headache for the Cairo Stadium rules and reg’s), we decided to get there nice and early for the final.
Read MoreThe semi final between Nigeria and Algeria was a fiercely contested match with no shortage of drama - which for us began hours before kick off. Getting into the stadium alone proved difficult - clearly the prospect of 3 Englishmen and an Egyptian didn't quite fit the security brief, confusing the gate staff even more wearing Finland, Atletico National (Colombia) and Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa) shirts between us.
Read MoreOne man in particular, Mohammed Salah, seemed the publicly proclaimed King of Cairo, his face and name replicated more times than I could possibly describe. Despite not hailing from the city himself (he’s from Nagrig, a small Northern village), he seems to be the face of both the capital and the country at the moment.
Read MoreStill fuelled by the desire to keep travelling to different cultures through football, Afcon 2019 seemed a great chance to explore Africa’s passion for the game, and to see how big tournament football looks and feels in one of its biggest cities, Cairo. It is one of the oldest cities on the planet; home to over 20 million people, ancient wonders and the longest river in the world - where does football fit in?
Read MoreDeep in discussion whilst overseeing a training session, Dumi shared his desire to help more with the boys’ school work as well as their football, frustrated by their overfilled classrooms and lack of appetite for the classroom. Having designed and taught some football-themed English tutoring in Manchester whilst at University years ago, I hurriedly offered my services as a makeshift teacher for the rest of my stay in Cape Town. It was agreed that I would plan a range of English and Maths sessions, teaching core skills through football themed activities and scenarios.
Read MoreWhether it was the birth of extensive media coverage of our favourite games, the growth of wearable exercise technology, or the ongoing debate around VAR and digital decision making, it’s fair to say technology is playing an increasingly significant role in global sport. South African football is currently undergoing a digitisation of its own, hoping to harness the power of technology to find and develop the next generation of talent around the country.
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