Author Archives: ConnectSport

It was like he’d never been away. Kevin Blackwell returned to football management last Saturday and helped his new team, Bury, to a battling away point at Stevenage. For the last 18 months or so, Blackwell’s name has been conspicuous … Continue reading →

It’s a popular notion that most footballers are rich and don’t care too much about the problems of society. After all, why let facts get in the way of a good story?’ Well, here are the facts. Community interventions by … Continue reading →

English football’s troubled relationship with the media came under scrutiny this week from a man well qualified to speak on both areas. Gary Neville had the assembled national media hanging on his every word at the Soccerex European Forum in … Continue reading →

Ask any England fan what was the most important event for the future of our national game in recent weeks and it’s more than likely they will tell you it was the draw for Euro 2012. Yet the man in … Continue reading →

Paul Bracewell was a member of arguably the finest midfield to grace English football during the 1980s. So when the former Everton star talks about how vital it is to keep kids active and playing football whatever the weather, he … Continue reading →

It’s been a big year for women’s football in England, from the grassroots to the very top of the game. At the World Cup finals in Germany, the Three Lions were a penalty shootout away from a first-ever semi-final appearance … Continue reading →

Gareth Southgate has heralded changes to youth football which could have an impact “for decades to come”. The FA’s head of elite development was speaking to club coaches and league administrators from across the East Midlands at the penultimate ‘Your … Continue reading →

So who is the most important man in English football these days? Fabio Capello? Wayne Rooney? Perhaps. What about Jack Wilshere, who has been held up as the type of technical player our national game needs to be producing if … Continue reading →

Football can play a key role in helping heal the rifts which have divided our communities in recent months, according to Gareth Southgate. Some of the blame for the recent riots in cities across England has been apportioned to an … Continue reading →

Barcelona’s humiliation of Manchester United in the Champions League final was the wake-up call English football needed, according to former Leeds defender Danny Mills. The Spanish club recorded an astonishing 67% possession of the ball as they beat the recently-crowned … Continue reading →