Oh, FC United!

Written for Supporters Direct’s quarterly magazine in 2006, reviewing life at fan-owned football co-operative FC United of Manchester, one year after their formation in May 2005 soon after the Glazer family’s takeover at Manchester United.

The Case for Salary Caps

Written for Supporters Direct’s quarterly magazine in 2006, making the case for cost-control in football to bring an end to seemingly continual inflationary pressures; the policy ideas behind this were part of a wider debate which influenced UEFA’s Financial Fair Play initiative.

Fool Me Once, Shame On You. Fool Me Twice, Shame On Me

Written for the match day programme for the Supporters Direct Cup, played between AFC Wimbledon and FC United of Manchester in 2006. The Cup is an annual match played between two fan-owned clubs, for a trophy purchased by donations by…

The Ball is Round

A history of the 20th century which doesn’t focus on the USA is the novel premise that underpins David Goldblatt’s magnificent history of football from the earliest appearance of the game to the eve of the 2006 World Cup.