The most recent transfer windows have undoubtedly seen Football Manager cross over into the mainstream. Sky Sports have brought up in-game stats to look at players’ real-life prospects, while some clubs have admitted to using the game as part of their scouting regime. But before all that came to light, the BBC were calling on the […]

11 years ago

Back in 2008, Steven Fletcher was the subject of one of the strangest transfer rumours when the then-Hibs striker was linked with Real Madrid. It never materialised, of course, and Fletcher went on to play for Burnley and Wolves before settling at Sunderland. But now the Scotland international could get his move to the continent […]

11 years ago

It’s an issue that’s plagued us all – keeping up with all the deadline day moves when you’re at work with targets to meet. We’ve all got our ways around it, from sneaking a peek at your phone under the desk to calling in sick or just nipping out to the pub at lunchtime and […]

11 years ago

The worst-kept secret in football is finally out, with Manchester City confirming Pep Guardiola will arrive at the club this summer. The Bayern Munich coach had already confirmed he would leave the Bundesliga leaders at the end of the current campaign, and with Manuel Pellegrini confirming his City exit the stage is set for Guardiola […]

11 years ago

Pep Guardiola will take charge of Manchester City next season, the club has confirmed. With Manuel Pellegrini announcing that this year will be his last at the Etihad, City have released a statement confirming Bayern boss Guardiola will take the reins for the 2016/17 campaign. City statement on Pep G and Pellegrini pic.twitter.com/NFnOdH6nva — jamie jackson […]

11 years ago

We said Frank Bruno was looking in great shape, and it turns out there’s a good reason. The former heavyweight champ was spotted looking in peak condition while training with Ricky Hatton, and it seems the 54-year-old was getting ready for a stunning return to the ring. Bruno, who retired on doctor’s advice after suffering […]

11 years ago

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know all about the film Groundhog Day. It stars Bill Murray as weatherman Phil Connors, who is forced to live the same day over and over again. It stars Bill Murray as weatherman Phil Connors, who is forced to live the same day over and over again. […]

11 years ago

Stoke City have been knocked back in their surprise late pursuit of Marseille striker Michy Batshuayi. The Potters reportedly made a club record bid for the Belgian international, thought to be in the region of £20m. Batshuayi has been on the radar of both Arsenal and West Ham United after scoring 15 goals in 30 […]

11 years ago

Jamie Carragher thinks Chelsea will have as tough a time replacing John Terry as Manchester United had when Roy Keane left. Blues captain (leader, legend) Terry announced he is likely to leave the club this summer when his contract expires, with moves to MLS or the Middle East being touted. And Carragher, who like Terry spent […]

11 years ago

Gary Neville accused a journalist of asking “ridiculous” questions about his standing with Valencia fans. The former Manchester United captain is yet to lead Los Che to a league victory, and the latest defeat – at home to lowly Sporting Gijon – left the team just five points clear of the relegation zone. But despite apparent criticism […]

11 years ago

Jurgen Klopp may be about to make his second permanent signing of the January transfer window, according to reports in Spain. The Liverpool manager has already brought in Marko Grujic (who has since been loaned back to Red Star Belgrade) and Steven Caulker (on loan), and now Russian winger Denis Cheryshev could be about to […]

11 years ago

An iconic photo of Afghan child Murtaza Ahmadi has captured the imagination of the world. The five-year-old was pictured wearing an Argentina shirt which he had fashioned out of a plastic bag – with Lionel Messi’s name and number scrawled on the back. And now, according to reports in Argentina, the player himself has got in […]

11 years ago

For many fans, John Terry simply is Chelsea. The centre-back and captain has won everything in the 18 years since his debut for the club, and aside from six games on loan at Nottingham Forest he has not played club football for anyone else. But that may change next season, with the 35-year-old confirming he will not […]

11 years ago

John Terry has been at Chelsea since the age of 14, but the club captain will finally call time on his Blues career this summer. The 35-year-old, who has made close to 700 appearances for his boyhood club, is out of contract in the summer and will not renew his deal. The former England international is […]

11 years ago

Sometimes, as a football manager, it’s impossible to put a positive spin on a result. That is the position in which Karl Robinson found himself after his MK Dons team suffered a 5-1 hammering at home to Chelsea in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Oscar scored a first-half hat-trick for the visitors, who […]

11 years ago

Chelsea and Manchester City will meet in the pick of the ties in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Last season’s Premier League top two were the first names out of the hat, meaning only one of the pair can make the quarter-finals of the competition. League 1 Shrewsbury, the lowest-ranked team in the […]

11 years ago

Everton’s FA Cup fourth round victory over Carlisle United was marred by reports of a racist incident in the first half. Fans were warned that abuse would not be tolerated, following an incident in the aftermath of Arouna Kone’s opener for the away side. Cumbria Police have opened an investigation into the allegations, with Superintendent […]

11 years ago

While many people might waver in their support for Arsene Wenger, no Arsenal fan does it more loudly than Piers Morgan. The TV presenter and Gunners fanatic has beaten the #WengerOut drum more than most, but the tweet that has been dug up most recently makes us think he’s just asking to be mocked. Following […]

11 years ago

It seems like nothing’s going right for Gary Neville at the moment. The Valencia head coach has made some bold changes in an effort to turn things around at the Mestalla, but luck is not on his side. Los Che had been enjoying one of their best performances under the Englishman, only for visitors Sporting […]

11 years ago

There have been plenty of rumours doing the rounds about last-minute signings from the Premier League’s elite. So far, those towards the foot of the table have been the biggest spenders, with Bournemouth, Newcastle and Sunderland all keeping busy. But recent years have seen plenty of clubs splash out huge money to save, strengthen or […]

11 years ago

Some people have all the luck. Poker player Tony Dunst finished second at the Aussie Millions poker tournament, winning AU$1m (nearly £500,000)…but he was close to leaving Melbourne without even entering the tournament! In the end he joined the $10,000 buy-in tournament late, and it worked out well for him. “I came down here to register…and […]

11 years ago

It seems we’re now even less likely to get another ‘Class of 92’, with reports suggesting Manchester United’s academy will become the victim of cuts from the club’s owners. The departure of academy chief Brian McClair had already been felt in the North-West, with suggestions his role would be split between two new recruits. And […]

11 years ago

Look away now, Manchester United fans. It seems barely a week goes by without Paul Pogba reminding his former employers of his one-of-a-kind abilities. The Juventus midfielder ran the show in Juventus’ 4-0 win at Chievo, contributing a goal and an assist as the Bianconeri climbed to second in Serie A. But it was another moment which […]

11 years ago

British boxer George Groves made his case for a return to title contention with a convincing victory over Andrea Di Luisa. The London super-middleweight looked like a man determined to prove a point as he took just five rounds to get the better of his Italian opponent. ‘The Saint’ never looked in any real danger as […]

11 years ago

Having already been granted extra matchday protection, Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has now had security upped at home. The Dutchman, who saw the club take action after he suffered abuse following the defeat at home to Norwich, now reportedly has round-the-clock protection at his Cheshire home. The Daily Mirror claim Van Gaal is considering moving house, […]

11 years ago

We’re starting to get the sense that Arsenal have got a reputation for signing creative attacking midfielders. At least that’s our explanation for the Gunners being offered Real Madrid’s Isco despite having a wealth of talent in that area of the pitch. According to The Independent, Arsene Wenger’s side have been told the Spain international – […]

11 years ago

As if being compared to the devil wasn’t enough, Conor McGregor has now been likened to US presidential candidate Donald Trump. The comparison came from Josh Barnett, former UFC heavyweight champion who was stripped of his title after testing positive for banned substances. Barnett, who returned to the UFC in 2013, drew comparisons with the […]

11 years ago

Before Making a Murderer, there was Serial. Just like the Netflix documentary, the first season of radio podcast Serial followed a murder case with question marks over a number of issues. Just like Steven Avery, Adnan Syed was – in the eyes of many – wrongfully convicted. And now the former Baltimore high school student may be set […]

11 years ago

It was only a matter of time. We’ve seen the Netflix and chill button and the Netflix and chill condom – the Netflix and chill room was always going to follow. The project is the work of ART404 and Tom Galle, and is described as an effort to “bring the famous ‘Netflix & Chill meme’ to life […]

11 years ago

Watford have made another big-name signing, with Spanish midfielder Mario Suarez joining from Fiorentina. The 28-year-old was on the bench for Atletico Madrid’s 2014 Champions League final defeat, and played when Diego Simeone’s side knocked Chelsea out of the competition that same year. Suarez, who has three Spain caps, will compete with the likes of […]

11 years ago

Liverpool may have made it through to the League Cup final, but their performance against Stoke was anything but entertaining. Jurgen Klopp’s team had a chance to make things right in the FA Cup against West Ham, and both teams gave some fringe players a chance. But ultimately neither team was able to find a […]

11 years ago

Joe Allen has been compared to a fair few people in his time at Liverpool. He’s been the Welsh Xavi and the Welsh Pirlo, but now it seems he’s been given an altogether more Hollywood comparison. Captain-for-the-day Allen arrived at Anfield for the visit of West Ham with this stylish hoodie-and-backpack combo. Today's #LFC skipper […]

11 years ago

It looks like Chelsea might not be done with their January transfer business just yet. Alexandre Pato and Matt Miazga have completed their moves to Stamford Bridge, and now it seems their pursuit of Robin van Persie could be more than just paper talk. Van Persie has been linked with a return to the Premier […]

11 years ago

There’s a fine line between genius and stupidity, and today that line was drawn at two minutes. Twitter user @DKirky21 went for a bold five-fold accumulator in the FA Cup fourth round, backing wins for Manchester City, Hull City, Blackburn Rovers, Bournemouth and Sheffield Wednesday. Man City, Hull and Blackburn all wrapped things up early […]

11 years ago

This is what people mean when they talk about the ‘magic of the cup’. League One Shrewsbury Town trailed twice against Championship side Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup fourth round, and were 2-1 down heading into the final five minutes. But Shaun Whalley equalised, turning home after Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro had his penalty saved, […]

11 years ago

You just have to look back at Freddy Adu’s emergence to see how football fans in the US get behind their young prodigies. Matt Miazga’s Chelsea move has drawn waves of national pride, and now attention has turned to an even younger and potentially even more talented player. 17-year-old Christian Pulisic moved from Pennsylvania to […]

11 years ago

Aston Villa haven’t made things easy for themselves this season. The Premier League’s bottom club have won just twice in the league and are 10 points adrift of safety. Remi Garde’s team have been slightly more successful in the cup competitions, reaching the fourth round in both the FA and Capital One Cups. But according […]

11 years ago

Whenever a new Netflix series rolls around, we get the whole thing in one go, and for that we’re grateful. We’ve been able to binge-watch shows like Making a Murderer and House of Cards, safe in the knowledge that we’d never have to wait a week for the next episode. And, surprise surprise, it’s a deliberate tactic from […]

11 years ago

Nice touch

11 years ago

We don’t know a lot about Dutch Eerste Divisie club RKC Waalwijk. We know they play at the Mandemakers Stadium. We know they have the gloriously named Arsenio Valpoort in their squad. And we know they used to have the even more gloriously named Cerezo Fung a Wing. Now we know one more thing about […]

11 years ago

Much has been written about Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United future in recent weeks. The Dutchman is clearly under pressure in the media after seeing his team drop out of the top four, and he reportedly offered to resign after the weekend defeat at home to Southampton – their fourth at Old Trafford in 12 […]

11 years ago

You probably think no one would move from Barcelona to Real Madrid, least of all Lionel Messi. The Argentine has spent his whole career with the Catalan club, but that reportedly hasn’t stopped their fiercest rivals trying to secure his services – on three separate occasions. Sport English cites a report from Spanish radio station Cadena Cope claiming […]

11 years ago

All the best films feature memorable partnerships. Mr White, Mr Blonde, Mr Pink et al made Reservoir Dogs the film it was. The Fantastic Four were more than the sum of their parts. And of course The Lego Movie wouldn’t have been the same without Batman in the picture. But the next addition to the ensemble sub-genre might be the best […]

11 years ago

The beauty of Twitter comes with the ability to tell thousands of strangers about your unremarkable life. Well that’s what we take from it, at least. But it comes with its downsides, especially if you forget who can read what you’re writing. Journalist George Dobell sat down for an eight-hour flight and was so taken […]

11 years ago

Mozzarella sticks – the clue’s in the name. Or so we thought. Some McDonald’s customers have been complaining about the cheesy snack missing a vital ingredient. It’s not one of those weird technicalities where the cheese can’t officially be called mozzarella – it’s even worse. Inside the breadcrumb casing is…absolutely nothing. https://twitter.com/elKrooK28/status/692462094000766978 I have one […]

11 years ago

Aside from the controversy over the ball that was or wasn’t out of play, there was another big talking point in Manchester City’s victory over Everton. Toffees goalkeeper Joel Robles was seen trying to drag Kevin de Bruyne back to his feet after the City midfielder went down late on in the game. The Spaniard may […]

11 years ago

Glenn Hoddle won plenty of trophies as a player with Spurs and Monaco, but the league title is the one that got away. The former Tottenham and England manager knows what it’s like to finish in the upper echelons of the table, leading the London club to three top-four finishes in the old First Division. […]

11 years ago

Long cross-country train journeys can be boring, and many of us have been tempted to find ways to liven them up. You can get a good book for the journey, or load up the full series of Making a Murderer, or stop over in Berlin for a few hours because it’s cheaper that way. Wait, what? MoneySavingExpert […]

11 years ago

Why would you admit this?

11 years ago

Is he Anfield-bound?

11 years ago