Words Dept.: category

It’s transfer deadline day today. So, what better time to note that football journalism is the one area of the profession where it remains possible to make things up completely off the top of your head and still remain in a job even after the 300th time your byline appears on something that’s complete and [...]

The growth of a beard obviously signifies a psychological problem within the wearer. Not my words, you understand, but those of former England football manager and beard expert Graham Taylor, who thinks people who “grow beards for no reason” are undergoing some kind of ongoing, possibly catastrophic, mood change.
Taylor was talking about Roy Keane, who [...]

There’s a remarkable feature in today’s Observer. It’s a series of testimonials about the impact of Hillsborough, twenty years after the disaster. To spend time absorbing these unglossy, first-person statements from six people whose lives have been irrevocably altered by the events of 15 April 1989 is a desperately upsetting experience.
Over the years there have been a number of public rent-a-gobs (the late Brian Clough, [...]

I can’t help but find the whole situation with Man City and Kaka deeply amusing, especially following today’s foot-stamping session from City chief executive Garry Cook.
As a Liverpool fan, I’ve never had any particular grudge against City. In fact, the air of genial nuttiness that seems to surround the club and its fans is rather [...]

I was discussing Joe Kinnear’s foul-mouthed press conference tirade with friends over the weekend and have been surprised to find quite a lot of sympathy for the nutter. The popular view, expressed also by football pundits in the past couple of days, seems to be that although he probably went a bit over the top, [...]

Since drivers of 4×4s tend to be regarded as braying, selfish, middle class dummies – their penchant for oversized cars that are much too big for the school run barely disguising an inherent bullying streak – I can’t think of a better way for Land Rover to lay this image to rest than by creating [...]

To Liverpool, where today’s Daily Post seems to have missed a football story of some minor European importance.

EVERTON youngsters are celebrating a fine tournament success after winning the under-13s girls Premier League Schools Tournament.
Represented by a six-a-side Broughton Hall High School from West Derby, Everton overcame Liverpool 2-0 in the final at the Madjeski Stadium.
More [...]

I’ve just come back from Manchester city centre. The whole place stinks of piss. People appear to have been sleeping in the NCP car park on Oxford Road. There are empty beer bottles and pizza boxes strewn around between the BMWs and the odd empty bog roll on the ground. I suppose twenty quid for parking is cheaper than [...]

Someone predicted on a forum on the Liverpool Echo website at 10.28am yesterday that Arsenal would draw Liverpool, Man Utd would get Roma and Chelsea would play Fenerbahce, leaving Barcelona v Schalke in the quarter finals of the Champions League. The idea of fixing a live cup draw seems initially ridiculous until you consider the [...]

The outcome at 18.33 today – whereby the appointment of Fabio Capello as the new England manager was finally “approved” – was reached unpredictably speedily during the course of this week. And, rather as it does with Wimbledon and the Eurovision Song Contest, the BBC has taken ownership of the event.
It’s been impossible to switch [...]