Flash Friday: Keeping Dry

This week's Flash Fiction is based on a real historical event, Arbroath beating Bon Accord 36-0 in 1885. "Was that Petrie again?" "Aye, that's his eighth." Jim shook his head, that put them at a 24-0 lead.  A victory had been predictable, a large one looked likely when Bon Accord had arrived without a full …

Book Review: Kicking off in North Korea by Tim Hartley

Another night shift read, and one of those books that makes my feet itch as Tim Hartley writes a series of remembrances and snapshots from his travels. The title is a reference to a football match watched in North Korea and the sport is a recurring theme as Hartley catches matches all over the world. …

Book Review: Trailing Clouds of Glory by Nick Burnell

During the glorious summer of 2016 when Wales progressed to the semi-finals of the European Championships much was made of the fact that it was Wales' first showing in a major international tournament since 1958, when a Pele goal knocked Wales out in the quarter finals of the World Cup. For Welsh fans like me, …

Book Review: On Unfamiliar Grounds by Mark Cowan

This is the second book by Cowan I've read, and like the first, this is concerned with football in the North East of England. But as the title suggests, Cowan is on his travels this time. While his previous book followed his local team Guisborough Town, this follows his journeys across 15 months in 2012-13. …

And the Fans Played On: Denmark Vs Wales

After Wales ran wild on Ireland on Thursday night (see here), it would have been easy to get carried away for the second Nations League match. I must admit I did daydream that it would be great if we got back-to-back wins, putting us in a commanding position. But it wouldn't be an easy match, …

Irish Eyes Aren’t Smiling: Wales vs Republic of Ireland

It's been a pretty crappy week for me. Work has been rough, I've been crabby and WoM and I have both been snappy with each other. I thought for sure that the Universe would seize on this opportunity to kick me while I was down. That Wales' first match in the new Nations League would …

Who I’m Supporting at Russia 2018

Later on today the Russia 2018 World Cup begins, and as Wales failed to qualify, I have to pick a foreign country to root for. Luckily, I've had lots of practice as Wales' 2016 campaign is the only one I've really had skin in the game for, and it broke me. So, the question is, out …

Book Review: The Binman Chronicles by Neville Southall

Everton and Wales goalkeeping legend Neville Southall's career was winding down when I started watching football. I can remember him doing a decent job for an uninspiring Everton side and playing for Wales quite a few times. But it would only be later that I came to appreciate how successful his career between the posts …

Book Review: The Beautiful Dream by Ralf Haley

I found myself identifying a lot with Ralf Haley. Like him I was a kid who loved football and who dreamed of being a professional. And like him, I was nowhere near good enough. It's a dream billions of kids have across the world, with only a relatively small number of them achieving it. I …

Book Review: Football’s Strangest Matches by Andrew Ward

Cliche tells us that football is a "funny old game" and there are plenty of odd occurences, strange coincidences and memorable moments throughout it's history. This book decides to collect several of these oddities. While the book is diverting enough and there are some interesting tales it fell far short of my expectations. The problem …