The Pioneers

The ‘Irishman’s Motion’ and the Birth of the Penalty Kick

Milford in Country Armagh, Northern Ireland, welcomes visitors to the 'Home of the Penalty Kick' [Credit: Better Red Than Dead…

2 years ago

How football took off in Scandinavia

Stockholm's Olympic Stadium for the 1912 Games [Photo: Christopher Hylland] When Denmark lifted the European Championship trophy at the Ullevi…

2 years ago

Le Havre Athletic Club: France’s Oldest Football Club

HAC's Le Stade Océane, opened in 2012, set against the famous port of Le Havre [Photo: Ronald Schut] This is…

2 years ago

Cândido de Oliveira: The Most Important Figure in Early Portuguese Football

Cândido de Oliveira, standing third from right, in his Casa Pia days (Photo: Casa Pia Atlético Clube) Each Portuguese football…

2 years ago

Podcast: Scotland’s Lost Football Clubs

Cathkin Park, Glasgow, 'Second Hampden' was the home of Third Lanark AC until 1967 My guest is Jeff Webb, author…

2 years ago

Podcast: Athletic Club de Bilbao

The Mr Pentland Club, a London-based supporters group of Athletic Club de Bilbao [Photo: Mr Pentland Club] Athletic Club de…

2 years ago

Podcast: The History of Women’s Football in Latin America

My guest co-authored this book on women's sport in Latin America My guest is Brenda Elsey from Hofstra University in…

2 years ago

Carlo Carcano: Italy’s Forgotten Genius

In this guest article, Paul Grech looks back at the career of Carlo Carcano, who built the first great Juventus…

2 years ago

Podcast: 150 Years of the FA Cup

Season 2021-22 marks the 150th anniversary of the world's first and oldest Association football rules knock-out tournament, the FA Cup.…

2 years ago

The Story of the First African Football Team to Tour Britain

The 1899 team from South Africa that toured Britain, Ireland, and France (Credit: The National Archives, ref. COPY1/442/254) African footballers are now…

3 years ago