Carshalton Athletic v Dagenham & Redbridge
The qualifying rounds of the FA Cup are, in many ways, the competition at its very best. Before the big dogs rumble up and sour everything with their infuriating wealth, this is a pocket of football that remains somewhere in the vague vicinity of pure. These rounds provide even the smallest of clubs with an excuse to dream. An opportunity to think that maybe, just … Continue reading Carshalton Athletic v Dagenham & Redbridge
12 Hours on Sri Lankan Safari
I’ve never had a bucket list, but if I did, a safari trip would always have been right smack bang at the top of it. In March this year, I finally got the chance to fulfil that lifelong ambition, travelling to Yala National Park in rural south-east Sri Lanka. “How long would you like to go out into the park for?” asked our travel agent. “You could do … Continue reading 12 Hours on Sri Lankan Safari
Tottenham Hotspur v Inter Milan
I love football, I love seeing different teams, and I love checking out new stadiums. But I’ll level with you: the magical pint glasses were a big part of what lured me to Tottenham’s new stadium so early in its life. And sure, no doubt in years to come people will stumble upon this write-up and laugh at my Dark Ages inexperience of pint glasses … Continue reading Tottenham Hotspur v Inter Milan
You’ve Got Mail
No one writes letters any more, do they? I mean, it’s for the best really. Letter-writing was rubbish. You had to find some decent paper, and an envelope that was the right size, and some stamps. You had to do your best handwriting (who even has handwriting any more?). You had to lick the disgusting envelope, like some sort of animal. You had to walk to the … Continue reading You’ve Got Mail
Barnet v Solihull Moors
It’s difficult to tell from watching them play football, but Barnet are a club who have moved up in the world. The last time I saw them, back in 2009, they were still playing their matches at Underhill. That was a ‘proper’ ground, which is football luddite-speak for anywhere in desperate need of an upgrade. Fast-forward ten years to 2019, and their base is The … Continue reading Barnet v Solihull Moors
Beckenham Town v Punjab United
Beckenham Town’s home ground puts the “Eden” into “Eden Park Avenue”. Well, that’s maybe going a bit far. There are no snakes, or apples, or naked people here (thankfully), but I suppose what I’m trying to say is that it’s a pretty nice place to watch football. On a warm opening day of the season like this one, it seems tailor-made for sitting outside, drinking … Continue reading Beckenham Town v Punjab United
Old Man in a Football Top
I’m not one of those fashion guys. I’ve never been stylish. When I’m out and about, I do my best to look presentable, and I wear stuff that I like to think looks alright, but that’s pretty much as far as it goes for me. The second I get home, I fling on a knackered pair of Sports Direct trackie bottoms and I’m basically in … Continue reading Old Man in a Football Top
AFC Ajax v VVV-Venlo
As a football fan, there’s a certain romanticism to Ajax that’s hard to resist. To think of Ajax is to think of Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, total football, and of course that iconic kit. Ooh, the kit. Sure, it’s lost the striking simplicity it had in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but even in cynical old sponsor-laden 2019, it remains incredibly easy on the eye. … Continue reading AFC Ajax v VVV-Venlo
ASV De Dijk v DVS ’33 Ermelo
To the untrained eye (of which I can boast two), the world of Dutch football can feel like a confusing and impenetrable place. A place of bafflingly long team names made up of seemingly random bundles of letters and numbers. A place where a large, metropolitan and multicultural city like Amsterdam can often feel like it has only one team. The top end of Dutch … Continue reading ASV De Dijk v DVS ’33 Ermelo
Dulwich Hamlet v Slough Town
Champion Hill is a cracking place to watch football, if you know what you’re doing. Over the last ten years, average attendances here have soared from under 200 to well over 2,000, and occasionally even bypass the 3,000 mark. Given that the entire stadium doesn’t hold much more than that, the swelling crowds can often make matches feel like a real squeeze, but in the … Continue reading Dulwich Hamlet v Slough Town
