False Nine editor, Andrew Belt assesses the excitement building over Crystal Palace star, Wilfried Zaha, and looks at a few recent examples of hyped English players to wonder where the future lays for the Ivory Coast-born winger and others likely to attract the attention of youth-hungry Premier League clubs…
£27 million. The cost of two of the players in the England Under-21 team that beat Northern Ireland U-21s on Tuesday night. Continue reading
Arsenal’s astonishing 7-5 win at Reading put them into the quarter-final of the League Cup for the 10th consecutive season. False Nine editor, Andrew Belt, looks back on their efforts over this time and finds a club who have been involved in some fantastic games without winning the ultimate prize…
Arsene Wenger surprised no one when he claimed that the Capital One Cup was not a priority for Arsenal ahead of the Gunners’ Fourth Round tie versus Reading. Under the Frenchman’s stewardship, Arsenal have fielded youthful sides in the League Cup, using it as a vehicle for promising players at the club to get some competitive experience under their belts. Continue reading
False Nine editor, Andrew Belt charts the rapid progression of Anzhi Makhachkala ahead of their away trip to Liverpool in the Europa League. The third and final part of a trilogy previewing the game, comparisons are made between the evolution of the club and the growth of a rare type of swan…
Misanthropic TV critic, Charlie Brooker, blew the whistle on a particularly vulgar American TV programme on his Screenwipe review several years ago. Called The Swan, supposed ‘ugly ducklings’ were transformed into ‘beautiful swans’ via painful plastic surgery. Continue reading
United by their location in the City of Leeds, False Nine editor Andrew Belt looks at two clubs looking ahead to a positive future after negotiating choppy waters over the past few years…
They collided on Friday 20th July. Two clubs meeting for the first time in a friendly that drew in a crowd of 2320. And despite a difficult few years for both teams hailing from the same borough, a warm, sunny evening complimented the mood around Throstle Nest as Leeds United took on Northern Premier League Division One North side, Farsley. Continue reading
False Nine editor Andrew Belt reflects on European nights returning to Anfield and queries Uefa’s bid to increase the profile of the Europa League…
All Uefa had to do to stop themselves preaching to the converted was visit Anfield on August 9th. Not unusually, a near-capacity crowd of 43, 256 packed the old stadium to cheer on Liverpool after hordes of fans had queued for last-minute tickets, enticed by the prospect of seeing the Merseyside club flaunt their skills in European competition again. Continue reading
False Nine editor, Andrew Belt looks at the lessons that can be learned from the 2012 London Games in relation to football and vice-versa, and invites you to take in one of four interesting European derbies on offer this Sunday…
Le Classique between Marseille and PSG is one of four derby fixtures in Europe this Sunday
A Summer of sport to remember. That’s what will stand out when looking back at the year 2012. And of all the sporting events it is the London Olympics and Paralympics that will dominate the memory more than any other. Continue reading
In the wake of another Champions League outing for Manchester City, False Nine editor Andrew Belt looks at the club’s work down at non-league Hyde FC and profiles a club embarking on a first Conference Premier season…
It’s been a tough few months for Hyde FC. A fortnight after winning promotion to the Blue Square Conference Premier for the first time in the Greater Manchester club’s history boss, Gary Lowe, and assistant, Martyn Booty, quit the side, citing a lack of funds and only a short-term contract offer as the driving force behind their decision. Continue reading