Doing the 55
Who needs The 92?
Parma: From tragedy to grand finale?
Two fallen giants of Italian football clash tomorrow in a battle for a spot in Serie A. For visitors Palermo, promotion would mean a return to the top tier after only two years. For hosts Parma, it would mean redemption after bankruptcy, disgrace and the arrests of two sitting club owners. Zaki Dogliani visits the city of ham, cheese […]
LAFC: This town ain’t big enough for both of us
Major League Soccer kicks off this weekend with one expansion franchise: Los Angeles FC. Bringing the MLS complement to 23, LAFC has an in-built anti-Galaxy bias, thanks to fans of defunct Chivas USA, as Tony Dawber explains. There’s a new kid on the block in the world’s glamour capital. This Sunday Los Angeles FC makes […]
NK Maribor: a replica top and a trim, please!
Something for the weekend, sir?
Cove up for the cup and a bright future
Aberdeen-based Cove Rangers travel to Formartine this month for a Scottish Cup fixture that will see one of the Highland League rivals in the draw for the last 16. For ambitious Cove, the season may also be highlighted by promotion to the Scottish League and a move to a new stadium in town. Tony Dawber […]
The miracle of Montevideo
Nick Rider enjoys a football weekend in Montevideo, where the 2030 World Cup kicks off With more World Cup wins than England, Spain or France, Uruguay has a proud football history. Its soccer-mad capital contains a dozen top-flight clubs, from tiny Danubio to the big boys of Peñarol and Nacional, offering the casual visitor a […]
Easter challenge for first World Cup winners
On Good Friday, West Auckland – winners of the first ‘World Cup’ in 1909 – are up against Newton Aycliffe in the Durham Challenge Cup final. Andy Potts visits the club that won football’s first major international silverware in a distant era. Nobody quite knows how an amateur team of coalminers from County Durham ended up […]
Stalin’s secret stadium
While work continues on transforming Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium for the 2018 World Cup, across town Andy Potts uncovers a forgotten arena that was set to be a Stalinist showpiece when instigated 80 years ago. Little remains of the dream that was the projected Stalin Stadium. Originally, this gargantuan landmark was intended to be the sporting […]
Three is the magic number
Revered club revived to honour Glasgow football history