The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Eighteen


Book Description

The Blizzard is a quarterly football publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Issue Eighteen contains 20 articles in 8 different sections: ---------------- Outsiders ---------------- * The Turf War, by Ann Tornkvist - How the murder of promising footballer Eddie Moussa sheds light on Sweden's gang culture * The Agony of Doha, by James Montague - Despair at a World Cup qualifying tournament in 1993 proved the springboard for the rise of Japan * Out of the Shadows, by Peter McVitie - The remarkable rise of PEC Zwolle, the minnow who reached successive Dutch Cup finals * Porterfield's Legacy, by Robert O'Connor - His former assistant Tom Jones remembers how Ian Porterfield inspired Armenia's resurgence ---------------- Liverpool ---------------- * The Forgotten Full-Back, by Scott Murray - John Barnes, John Aldridge and Peter Beardsley dazzled, but Steve Nicol was key to Liverpool's 1987-88 title * Accidental Hero, by Shaul Adar - Ronnie Rosenthal played an implausibly important role in Liverpool's last title success * Farewell, My Lovely, by Dileep Premachandran - A fan who followed from afar pays tribute to Steven Gerrard ---------------- Foundations ---------------- * The Ball Game Bulganin, by John Harding - It's 60 years since Jimmy Guthrie led the Professional Footballs Association into the TUC * The Unacknowledged Filters, by Jack Pitt-Brooke - Uncovering the hidden world of the football translator * The Nietzschean Dream of Barcelona, by Uriah Kriegel - Luis Enrique found the perfect blend of Apollonian and Dionysian to reinvigorate Barca * Flight of the Ladybird, by Jonathan Wilson - A centenary celebration of the publisher whose history of football was a set text for generations ---------------- Polemics ---------------- * The Subscription Model, by Tsjalle van der Burg - Does putting football on pay television really make economic sense? * A Convenient Culprit, by Luke Alfred - Is Steve Goddard really the only man to blame for South Africa's match-fixing scandal? ---------------- Women's World Cup ---------------- * Settling the Score, by Glenn Moore - The USA won a third title as the women's game confirmed the huge strides it has taken ---------------- Copa America ---------------- * The 99-Year Wait, by Jonathan Wilson - Under Jorge Sampaoli, Chile discovered a pragmatic edge to win their first trophy * Shifting Plates, by Sergio Levinsky - What the Copa America told us about the balance of power in Conmebol * The Unappreciated Genius, by Sergio Levinsky - After another defeat in a final, the Argentinian public is losing patience with Lionel Messi * The Caravan of Death, by Carl Worswick - El Estadio Nacional, where the final was won, played a central role in the aftermath of Pinochet's coup ---------------- Greatest Games ---------------- * Manchester United 2 Liverpool 2, by Rob Smyth - Premiership, Old Trafford, 1 October 1995 ---------------- Eight Bells ---------------- * Head Boys, by Naomi Westland - A seleciton of football-playing heads of state




The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Twenty Seven


Book Description

First published in December 2017, Issue Twenty Seven contains 22 articles in 7 sections, including: Tom Williams speaking to Gary Lineker about his time at Barcelona and his tempestuous relationship with Johan Cruyff; Toke Theilade on the story of the first American footballer to play in Russia; James Montague on how Miodrag Belodidici escaped Romania to win the European Cup for a second time, Andrew McKirdy on Subbuteo and more.




The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Twenty Two


Book Description

First published in September 2016, Issue Twenty Two contains 17 articles in 6 sections, including: Shaul Adar on football, family and the improbable success of Hapoel Be'er Sheva; Sam Wetherell on what San Jose Earthquakes tell us about the condition of Major League Soccer; and Juliet Jacques interviews Lilian Thuram on 1998, social cohesion and the importance of football as a political tool.




The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Three


Book Description

The Blizzard is a quarterly football publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Issue Three Contents -------------- Spartak -------------- * Fallen Idol, by Igor Rabiner—The decline of Spartak Moscow is inextricably bound up with the fortunes of their former coach, Oleg Romantsev -------------- Interview -------------- * Zagallo and Tostão—Mario Zagallo and Tostão talk to Tim Vickery about 1970, Pelé and the Brazilian style ------------------------- New Beginnings ------------------------- * A Crisis of Legitimacy, by Brian Oliver—Kenyan clubs are leading the fight against corruption in their football association * For Richer, For Poorer, by Shaul Adar—How nationalism has shaped the rise and fall of Beitar Jerusalem ----------------------------- In Appreciation of... ----------------------------- * Angelo Di Livio, by Michael Cox—How the midfielder's loyalty inspired Fiorentina's return from bankruptcy ------------ Theory ------------ * The Mind has Mountains, by Lars Sivertsen—Egil Olsen talks about his conception of the game, Wimbledon and geographical trivia * The Harmony of the Sphere, by Philippe Auclair—An exploration of the links between football and music * Smash and Thunder, by Alexander Jackson—How a change of approach helped Newcastle cast off their chokers tag in the 1910 FA Cup final * The Head Case, by John Sinnott—Standard Liège's Michel Bruyninckx leads the way in developing footballers' mental capacity -------------------- Foreign Soil -------------------- * The Bomb and the Bowler Hat, by Barney Ronay—How modern football was shaped in an internment camp in Berlin * Tour of Duty, by Davidde Corran—With the Vietnam War at its height, Australia sent a team to play in a tournament in Saigon * The Kennedy Conundrum, by Paul Doyle—Ireland's 1986 tour of Iceland brough their first international trophy, but ended an international career * The Midfield, by David Ashton—A veteran remembers the no-man's-land football of the First World War * The Youth of Today, by Jonathan Wilson—Clouds, clubs and the collective: reflections on the Under-20 World Cup --------------- Polemics --------------- * Comparing Apple with Oranje, by Simon Kuper and David Winner—Were Johan Cruyff and Ajax the John Lennon and Beatles of Amsterdam? * The Race Card, by Gabriele Marcotti—Racist chanting is deplorable, but does the rush to condemn it obscure deeper issues? * The Dawson's Creek Principle, by Musa Okwonga—Could it be that a US teen drama helps explain anomalies of football history? * What's a Vote Worth?, by Steve Menary—How Fifa's attempts to devolve power could be a bribers' charter --------------------------- Football Manager --------------------------- * The Ballad of Bobby Manager: My Autobiography", by Iain Macintosh—When somebody takes their game of Football Manager just a little too seriously... -------------------------- Greatest Games -------------------------- * Denmark 4 USSR 2, by Janus Køster-Rasmussen—World Cup qualifier, Idrætsparken, Copenhagen, 5 June 1985 ------------------ Eight Bells ------------------ * Great Finishes in Japan, by Ben Mabley—A selection of the most gripping climaxes to the J.League and JSL season




The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Twenty Five


Book Description

First published in June 2017, Issue Twenty Five contains 18 articles in 7 sections, including: Luke Edwards on why Leyton Orient's slide out of the league matters, Felix Lill and Javier Sauras on the growth of football in Cuba, Igor Rabiner on how Monaco have reinvented themselves and Andrew Lees' personal quest into the life story of Brazilian great Garrincha.




The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Seven


Book Description

The Blizzard is a quarterly football publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Issue Seven Contents ---------------- El Dorado ---------------- * The Ball and the Gun, by Carl Worswick—After a political rival was murdered, the Colombian government set up the world's richest league * The Blond Giant, by Stany Sirutis—Among the influx of foreign players to El Dorado was the Lithuanian goalkeeper Vytausas Krisciunas ---------------- Interview ---------------- * Ivica Osim — The great Bosnian coach reflects on the war, Japan and Alan Mullery's lack of fair play ----------------------------- The Victorian Age ----------------------------- * The First Columnist, by Paul Brown—How an early journalist for the Northern Echo helped shape the modern game * Stiffy the Goalkeeper, by John Harding—Lazy, drunken and corruptible, the first footballing hero of the stage could hardly have been less heroic * Out with a League Team, by Henry Leach—A journalist, writing in 1900, describes his experiences travelling the country reporting on Notts County ------------ Theory ------------ * Don Leo's Odyssey, by Joachim Barbier—From Amsterdam to Madrid to Gaudalajara to Budapest, Leo Beenhakker has never stopped learning * The English Spaniard, by Philippe Auclair—Roberto Martínez discusses his conception of football and the difficulties of addapting to the dark nights of Lancashire ------------------------ The Vanishing ------------------------ * The Strange Disappearing of Leslie Goldberg, by Anthony Clavane—How the right back who became Les Gaunt encapsulated the experiences of many 1930s Jewish footballers * Ten Past Ten and Ten Pastis, by Gunnar Persson—Gunnar Andersson's journey from Marseille legend to homeless alcoholic * End of the Road, by Richard Winton—Gretna's rise was a romantic fairy tale, their collapse provides grimly real lessons for all of Scottish football * Safe as Houses, by Paolo Bandini—Espen Baardsen was a Norway international but at 25 he gave up football to work in finance ---------------- Polemics ---------------- * Breaking the Mould, by Zac Lee Rigg—Last year Johnny Saelua became the first transgender person to play in World Cup qualifying * In Arsene We Trust, by Zach Slaton—However frustrating this season, the numbers suggest Arsenal would be worse off without Arsene Wenger * Dictionary of Received Ideas, by Brian Phillips—A guide to what pundits really mean when they use certain terms * Follow the Money, by Elliot Turner—How Nicaragua's national stadium highlights the problems with Fifa's Goal project * The Third Party, by Sergio Levinsky—A tax avoidance scandal in Argentina could have ramifications across the globe ------------- Fiction ------------- * The Limping God, part 2, by David Ashton—His football career ended by injury, John Brodie's life is going nowhere until he is sucked into the world of crime --------------------------- Greatest Games --------------------------- * Lazio 4-2 Ipswich Town", by Dominic Bliss—Uefa Cup, second round, second leg, Stadio Olimpico, Rome, 7 November 1973 --------------------- Seven Bells --------------------- * Fouls and Fisticuffs, by Scott Murray—A selection of unsavoury incidents we're supposed to condemn




The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Twenty One


Book Description

First published in June 2016, Issue Twenty One contains 15 articles in 8 sections, including: James Montague visiting Albania to get the lowdown on Ismail Morina and the drone controversy; Igor Rabiner on how a fall from a tree set Leonid Slutsky on his way to the top; and Amy Lawrence curates a people's history of the 1966 World Cup.




The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Twenty


Book Description

First published in March 2016, Issue Twenty contains 20 articles in 10 sections, including: Robin Bairner explaining why Hampden Park's old goalposts have pride of place in St-Étienne's club museum; the playwright Patrick Marber discusses football, drama, and his football drama; and Nick Miller with the unusual story of how a united Ireland side took on Brazil at the height of the Troubles and almost won.




The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue One


Book Description

The Blizzard is a quarterly publication put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Contents of Issue One ------------------------- Fortunes of War ------------------------- * Stars of David, by James Montague—The astonishing story of Israel's first national team * The Collaborator, by Philippe Auclair—The treacherous life and traitor's death of Alexandre Villaplane, France's first World Cup captain ------------------------- Interview ------------------------- * Dennis Bergkamp — David Winner talks to Dennis Bergkamp about his greatest goals, the nature of genius and the importance of predicting the future ------------------------- Leeds ------------------------- * Revie-Nixon, by Dominic Sandbrook—How ignominious exits overshadow the successes of a US president and a Leeds United manager * Mind of Peace, by Anthony Clavane—David Peace discusses the inspiration behind "The Damned Utd" and why he won't apologise to John Giles * 44 Days, Later, by Lawrence Donegan—Why Jock Stein lasted no longer than Brian Clough at Elland Road ------------------------- Theory ------------------------- * The First Bilardista, by Jonathan Wilson—How Victorio Spinetto pioneered pragmatism in Argentinian football * The Brain in Spain, by Sid Lowe—Juanma Lillo, mentor to Pep Guardiola, explains his thinking on clubs, coaching and why society is sick ------------------------- Grass Roots ------------------------- * Duels on the Nile, by Paul Myers—A report from Sudan on the second championship for Africans playing their football at home * An Exile at Home, by Scott Anthony—Vasilis Hatzipanagis, Greece's greatest player, explains why he never played a competitive game for his country * Port in a Storm, by Ben Lyttleton—The extraordinary success of the academy at Le Harve * Marsh Attacks, by Simon Hooper—How a Sunday League team gives London's Romanians a sense of identity ------------------------- Denmark '92 ------------------------- * Once Upon a Time..., by Dave Farrar—The fairy story of Denmark's 1992 European Championship campaign ------------------------- Origins ------------------------- * The Sum of their Parts, by Gunnar Persson—The rise and fall of Motala and its football team * When the Kites weren't Black, by Dileep Premachandran—The lost legacy of Indian football * Man and Boy, by David Ashton—Fathers, sons and the grumbling terraces of industrial Scotland ------------------------- Polemics ------------------------- * The Pillars of the Earth, by Simon Kuper—Could it be that the Premier League boom has only just begun? * What's the Point of Football Writing?, by Tim Vickery—There's more to it than getting up late, isn't there? Isn't there? * World's Apart, by Kieron O'Connor—Fifa and the financial legacy of the South African World Cup ------------------------- Football Manager ------------------------- * The Ballad of Bobby Manager: My Autobiography, by Iain Macintosh—When somebody takes their game of Football Manager just a little too seriously... ------------------------- Greatest Games ------------------------- * Manchester United 2 Real Madrid 3, by Rob Smyth—European Cup quarter-final second-leg, Old Trafford, Manchester, 19 April 2000 ------------------------- Eight Bells ------------------------- * Pre-War Scottish Legends, by Scott Murray—A selection of eight of the early stars of the game in Scotland




The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Nine


Book Description

The Blizzard is a quarterly football publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Issue Nine Contents ----------- Iran ----------- * The Vacant Lot, by Gwendolyn Oxenham—The search for a kickabout in Iran is complicated by religion and gender politics * Conflict Management, by Noah Davis—Dan Gaspar is a key part of Iran's qualifying campaign for Brazil 2014 despite holding a US passport --------------- Interview --------------- * Zbigniew Boniek, by Maciej Iwanski—The Polish great discusses Juventus, the modern game and his friendship with Michel Platini ------------------------------------------- For the Good of the Game ------------------------------------------- * The Only Way is Ethics, by Philippe Auclair- Fifa's super-cop Michael J Garcia explains his mission to wash the corruption out of football * Power Play, by James Corbett—The Asian Football Confederation's presidential elections highlight football's murky governance * Genesis, by Davidde Corran—How a tournament in China in 1988 changed women's football forever ------------- Theory ------------- * The Weight of the Armband, by Joel Richards—The Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella explains why he made Lionel Messi national captain * Pep's Four Golden Rules, by Simon Kuper—How Guardiola made Barcelona the masters of the pressing game * Taking the Initiative, by Nick Ames—Andy Roxburgh, the former Uefa technical director, on how football tactics are changing --------------- The North --------------- * City and the City, by David Conn—What does Sheikh Mansour's investment mean for the city of Manchester? * Meanwhile Back in Sunderland, by Jon Spurling—How a Tyne Tees documentary on Cup final day 1973 captured the spirit of the town * That Grandish Pile of Swank, by Anthony Clavane—Tracing Leeds United's place in the tradition of Northern Realism ------------------ Lev Yashin ------------------ * The Jersey That Wasn't Black, by Igor Rabiner—Lev Yashin's widow and Eusébio remember the great Soviet goalkeeper --------------- Polemics --------------- * Partisans and Purists, by Charlie Robinson—Do fans experience football differently to those who watch without a vested interest? * The Lager of Life, by Tim Vickery—Football is haunted by violence, but can it be blamed for it? -------------------- Past Glories -------------------- * The Nearly Men, by Ian Hawkey—Zimbabwe's nostalgia for the Dream Team of Bruce Grobbelaar and the Ndlovu brothers * The Grand Griguol, by Dan Colasimone—How El Viejo defied accusations of boringness to inspire the golden age of Ferro Carril Oeste * A Dream Denied, by Antonis Oikonomidis—But for the politics of Greek football, Ferenc Puskás might have ended up in Athens not Madrid --------------- Fiction --------------- * In Search of Punditaria, by Scott Oliver—An anthropologist heads into the jungle to discover a society founded by stranded football journalists ---------------------------- Greatest Games ---------------------------- * Bari 4 Internazionale 1, Rory Smith—Serie A, Stadio San Nicola, Bari, 6 January 1996 ------------------ Eight Bells ------------------ * Goalless Draws", by Jonathan Wilson- A selection of the best 0-0s in history