Writing Worth Reading
Last updated 11 pm GMT
Writing Worth Reading
Chelsea paid £50m for him and almost immediately he descended into a catastrophic and inexplicable loss of form. From which he has yet to emerge. But why does this sometimes happen to top sportspeople, and what can they do about it?
Six examples of honourable behaviour in sport, from the Olympics and tennis Majors to FA Cup football and the Ryder Cup. You will notice, in reading, that the most recent took place more than 40 years ago
Brits know the story, no reason to keep it from the rest of the world. Top English football manager opens offshore bank account in name of his dog. Beats tax evasion charges. Now he's the favourite to manage the national team
Dissecting Chelsea football club's latest financial statement. Income is up, and costs down. Which is something of an achievement, as the club tries to wean itself off Abramovich's cash and meet new UEFA financial rules
A largely unlamented ending. "Fabio Capello never bothered to learn much English, or much about England. His £6m a year was not enough to interest him greatly in the culture of the country whose national game he was hired to revive"
If we say this is the best piece we've read on football (soccer) in Canada, you'll ask how many we judged to be inferior. Well, OK, but we wouldn't recommend it unless we thought it was worth it. Allez les rouges!
Shortish, charming interview with British sportswriter, Brian Glanville. Aged 80 and going strong. Still files his copy over the phone; it's now his grandson who acts as copytaker, newspapers having long closed the jobs
"In Germany and England now, the clubs with the money are having their reputations burned by the competitive spirit of opponents who simply refuse to roll over and be beaten. Any neutral follower of football must welcome this"
On the south coast strugglers. Promoted to the Championship for 2011/12 season, they're now financially stable and on course for another jump, this time to the Premiership. Here's how it's happened
Concise piece on Manchester United's finances. They're not short of cash, but they choose not to spend it on the most expensive players. This may be prudent. Or it may be because the club is run to maximise value to its owners
It's a difficult and fluid game. Which means long periods of nothing much, interspersed with moments of awesome visual beauty. Americans see the first and think it's dull. Many others see the second and go wild with excitement
Sad story from non-league football club in northern England. Brash, ego-driven owner decides to build big new stadium. Hobbles club with debts. Stadium is expensive to run and far too big for club's fan base. Much pain ensues
