Showing 1 - 10 of 10
A sporting year of cheers, jeers and tears that will be remembered
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 27/12/2025
» It's that time of the year to acknowledge the men and women who have graced the sports pages over the past 12 months. It has been a year of mixed emotions. Here are a few of those who have contributed to the memorable moments of 2025.
'3 B's' give hope to the smaller clubs
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 14/12/2024
» Back in the 1960s as a teenager I would regularly visit Elm Park to watch my home town team Reading in the old Third Division. Among the visiting sides were Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford. Just like Reading, these clubs looked destined to stay in the lower divisions forever although by some miracle Reading made it to the Premier League in 2006 for an all-too-brief stay.
Local derbies add a touch of spice to the action in Premier League
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 21/09/2024
» With seven London clubs in the Premier League it is hardly surprising that local derbies come thick and fast in England's capital city. Last week was the "big one", the North London clash in which Arsenal secured an important 1-0 away win at Tottenham Hotspur.
Kane joins the 100 club in golden style
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 14/09/2024
» Harry Kane celebrated his 100th appearance for England in true style by scoring both goals in the 2-0 defeat of Finland at Wembley on Tuesday night. Fittingly he was wearing golden boots after receiving a golden cap for reaching the century mark
Good times for Bees, Seagulls, Cottagers
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 21/01/2023
» Few pundits would have predicted that at this stage of the Premier League season Fulham, Brighton and Brentford would be above the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea.
Managers brace for a season of two halves with prayer on their lips
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 06/08/2022
» The English Premier League kicked off last night, facing a brand new challenge -- the minor matter of having to stop in mid-season for six weeks to accommodate the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Gregg and that dark day in February
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 22/02/2020
» It was sad to learn of the death this week of former Manchester United and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Harry Gregg at the age of 87.
Scholes and what might have been
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 23/03/2019
» Periodically we see former top footballers trying their hand at managing teams in the lower leagues. It often ends in tears, or at the very least, a bruised ego.
Should clubs park the bus or have a go?
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 01/09/2018
» From an entertainment perspective, last Sunday's match between Newcastle United and Chelsea was about as dull as it gets. From the kick-off, it became clear that the strategy of Magpies manager Rafa Benitez was to park the bus and hope for a breakaway goal. Chelsea's task was to break down that defence, which explains why they had 81% possession.
Remembering that dark February day
Sports, Nobby Piles, Published on 03/02/2018
» It was 60 years ago this Tuesday, but I can still remember Feb 6, 1958 quite vividly. I was 11 years old and returning home from school, sitting upstairs in a double-deck bus. It was about 5pm and we had just negotiated the roundabout outside Reading railway station. As the bus pulled away from the stop I glanced at a placard resting against a wall next to a newspaper vendor.