Supposedly the simplest act in football but the hardest to perfect? Elated screams of joy when awarded turn to anxiety within seconds as the expectancy that the back of the net will bulge is soon replaced with the fear of the unthinkable miss. The penalty kick. 12 yards from glory!
Taken in a matter of seconds some penalties can define a career. When you think of Roberto Baggio the first thing that springs to mind isn’t his mesmerising run in the 1990 world cup against Czechoslovakia that united a nation and …

So they have a new kit but they currently have no team to wear it!
The New York Cosmos brand is back up and running but it is still early days.  The foundations have well and truly been laid for them to build an organisation and most importantly a team full of glitz and glamour they had back in the 1970′s.
Since the Cosmos have been reborn they have employed some big names in the world of football, none bigger than Pele himself , who is already …

As FIFA President Sepp Blatter uttered the name ‘Russia’ in his announcement of the winning 2018 World Cup bid nation, the delight of the Russian delegates was palpable. The men responsible for securing the first successful World Cup bid for Eastern Europe celebrated FIFA’s unexpected decision, sharing hugs of elation with the odd tear or two for good measure. The following day the impact of Russia’s achievement in winning the bid was illustrated in the headline; Russia, Live with the World’ which appeared in one of the nation’s main newspapers.
Three …

27th of March 2011 the boys from Brazil entered our home capital with a fresh new look about them. They entered the Emirates Stadium in a bid to impress the English fans, as they were facing Craig Levein’s Scotland side in an international friendly. Brazil came into the game with a revamped squad full of teenage quantities, a much different look of the side what failed to make an impact at the 2010 World Cup. You could well claim that the coach at that period of time in Dunga, decided to …

It had been billed as a throw back to the old home Internationals, we were told to expect a high paced Premier League style derby, instead, with the exception of a crunching 50-50 between Andrew Crofts and John Terry, and Wayne Rooney hacking Joe Ledley, it was more like a bottom versus top La Liga encounter than a Premier League derby.
Gary Speed rather than opt for a long ball, blood and thunder approach, admirably insisted Wales play the ball out of defense. A fine tactic when you are Barcelona, have ball …

Everyone is always looking for that next superstar with many saying Wilshere, Kroos or Hazard are the next big thing in football but who else? here’s a list of five midfield players that could be future greats:

1. Not many Japanese footballers make it big in Europe but they now have one of the most exciting players in world football playing for their country. In 2010 Dortmund signed 20 year old Shinji Kagawa from Cerezo Osaka and since then he’s taken the Bundesliga by storm. The tricky winger who has been dubbed the “new Messi” has …

If ever a man was destined to wear the treasured hoops it was surely Paul McStay.
 Born brother to Willie and Raymond McStay, both former Celts themselves, and picked up by Celtic at an early age, it seemed that road to Celtic park awaited Paul since birth.
McStay had a wide range of passing at his disposal, as well as an eye for the spectacular. At times it would seem as if he was guiding the ball around the park. On the field he was a model pro, never one to wind up the opposition or …

Although an utterly stupid time to have a international friendly, Scotland’s trip down south to face the Samba superstars of Brazil is a great chance for our players to show their worth against a truly world-class side.
The Emirates will be full of the Tartan Army as they make their first appearance in London since the 1-0 over England in a European Championship qualifier in 1999 at the old Wembley.  The glamour match kicks off at 1400 GMT and comes at the end of a five-day training camp for the Scots …

Apparently there’s nothing like a win over the Manc’s to bring a reclusive blogger out of hiding.
It’s been a while since I’d forced my thoughts and opinions upon anyone else in a form more than 140 characters but then it’d been a while since I’d actually wanted too. You see, I’d grown frustrated and saturated with Football. Things were happening which my Kylie Minogue-sized brain couldn’t handle… £35m for Andy Carroll? Ronaldo retiring, Keys and Gray ‘smashing it’, Ashley Cole shooting someone and Gary Hooper being rumoured as a possible …

A remarkable left foot, the ability to pick out almost any pass during a game, set piece specialist, a captain who led his men to the promise land of the Premier League and possessing a resolute determination which has seen him go from strength to strength in a two year period which has undoubtedly turned his life and career on its head.
Left out in the cold by the team he moved to as a youngster, allowed to leave for a paltry sum in a mystifying transfer market and now the …