Premier League imports and a loss of the unknown

As featured on Guardian Sport WHEN SOUTHAMPTON SIGNED MARIAN PAHARS from Skonto FC, Latvia, in March 1999, Saints fans would have been forgiven for asking “who?” The diminutive forward had not been unearthed…

The birth of Brazil at World Cup 1958

BRAZIL CAME TO SWEDEN IN 1958 with a great deal of expectation behind them. It was the sixth incarnation of the World Cup; the Seleção had played in every previous tournament, but…

The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and European football’s boom

IMAGINE IF LONDON’S FOOTBALL CLUBS collaborated in European competition. Would a combined side of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham players stand a chance against major European cities, or would the likes of Barcelona, Madrid…

Football in the Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle conjures images of bleak, cold, inhospitable landscapes, but also of beauty and mystery; of the Northern Lights, stunning scenery, secluded fjords and mountains. These are not images traditionally associated…