Showing 1 - 10 of 11
The classy player who broke transfer barrier four decades ago
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 29/07/2023
» With football transfer fees going into orbit these days the sad death of England star Trevor Francis this week at the age of 69 is a reminder of how things have changed since the days he became Britain's first £1 million player four decades ago.
Pressure on Lampard to perform as he starts life with the Toffees
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 05/02/2022
» Now the dust has settled on the January transfer mayhem, arguably the most intriguing move was not the signing of any individual player but Frank Lampard taking over the hot seat at Goodison Park.
Good times for Birdman of Barlinnie
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 21/12/2019
» It has been a frustratingly fleeting glimpse of an Everton legend, but nonetheless good to see Duncan Ferguson in the thick of things at Goodson Park and Old Trafford recently.
VAR in focus as new EPL season starts
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 10/08/2019
» In possibly the biggest innovation since it kicked off 27 years ago, the English Premier League is this season using the VAR system -- and although its arrival is inevitable, not everybody is entirely enthused about it.
Clubs face dilemma of reluctant stars
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 09/09/2017
» Last weekend's international break is probably the most inconvenient of the year. The Premier League and most other European leagues had barely got going and yet are forced to an untimely halt. It is almost like the Premier league has two starts to the season -- the false start which began on Aug 11, and this weekend, when the clubs line up with their real teams, at least until the January window.
Big English clubs falling on hard times
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 13/05/2017
» It was a sign of the times last weekend when the three teams battling to avoid relegation from the Championship -- Blackburn Rovers, Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City -- were all big clubs which have seen much better days. One common thread is that all three have experienced major ownership problems, something that is becoming increasingly prevalent in English football.
Well Sam, that was not in the script
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 01/10/2016
» Whatever one's opinion of Sam Allardyce, he struck a very sad figure as he left Wembley on Tuesday after losing his dream job as England manager. It was just sinking in that he had thrown away the biggest opportunity of his lifetime after 67 days and just one game.
Managerial sack race goes on and on
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 06/02/2016
» While Pep Guardiola’s move to Manchester City at the end of the season at the expense of the unfortunate Manuel Pellegrini is grabbing all the headlines, there are a lot of managers in the Football League who don’t have the luxury of knowing what’s going to happen to them in 24 hours, let alone six months in the future.
Iceland fulfil dream of Euro tournament
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 12/09/2015
» While we still have to wait for British “minnows” Wales and Northern Ireland to officially clinch their places in Euro 2016, another unheralded team was able to pop the Champagne corks with unabandoned joy — Iceland.
Premier League takes a quick breather
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 05/09/2015
» With the dust of the transfer deadline having just about settled and it coinciding with an international break, it would seem an appropriate time to assess the state of play in the Premier League.