Dynamo Moscow Tour of Britain, 1945
For decades after the creation of the world’s first professional league in England in 1888, British football remained insular, sure of its superiority over the rest of the world. The arrogance of the game’s authorities and their isolationist stance was perfectly captured by FA committee member, Charles Sutcliffe, in refusing to accept an invitation to…
1966 World Cup (Background and Preparations)
In August 1960, only ten years since first entering the FIFA World Cup – a competition initially dismissed by the FA, which refused invitations to enter the first three tournaments in the 1930s – England was chosen to host the 1966 World Cup Finals, ahead of Spain and West Germany. A then-record 70 nations entered…
World Cup – The Kirov Stadium
As for so many global sporting events, a number of shiny new stadia have been constructed at huge expense in time for this summer’s World Cup, showcasing the wealth of ‘new Russia’. The $1 billion Krestovsky Stadium (Gazprom or Zenit Arena, after St Petersburg’s top club) is reputedly the most expensive of all, opened in…
ConIFA World Football Cup 2018
There is a World Cup taking place in England this summer, without a complimentary Rolex changing hands or a generous donation to an offshore bank account in sight. The Confederation of Independent Football Associations is the governing body for non-FIFA-affiliated Associations – allowing diasporas, ethnic groups, regions and stateless peoples to take part in international…
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